UC-NRLF 


B    3 


TO; 


EDUCATION  DEPT. 


CALIFORNIA  STATE  SERIES 


INTRODUCTORY  HISTORY 

OF  THE 

UNITED  STATES 


Compiled  by  the  STATE  TEXT-BOOK  COMMITTEE 

and 
Approved  by  the  STATE  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION 


SACRAMENTO 

W.  W.  SHANNON,  SUPERINTENDENT  STATE  PRINTING 


£-  f  /  0 

, 

c/f 


, 


Copyright,  1905, 
By  THE   PEOPLE   OF   THE   STATE   OF   CALIFORNIA 


Copyright,  i 
By  D.  C.  KKA7H&  CO. 

EDUCATION  HTTPT . 

In  the  compilation  of  this  work  certain  matter 
from  an  Elementary  History  of  the  United  States, 
by  A.  C.  Thomas,  has  been  used.  All  such  matter 
is  protected  by  the  copyright  entries  noted  above. 


PREFACE. 

IT  is  the  aim  of  this  work  to  set  forth  the  main  facts  of 
American  History,  particularly  the  earlier  periods,  in  such 
a  way  as  to  attract  and  interest  pupils  of  the  earlier  gram 
mar  grades. 

It  is  now  very  generally  acknowledged  that  history  is 
best  approached  through  biography.  Personal  incident 
is  more  attractive  to  every  one,  and  especially  to  children, 
than  any  narrative  of  events  can  possibly  be.  Most  of  the 
book,  therefore,  has  been  given  to  biographical  sketches  of 
representative  makers  of  the  nation. 

Effort  has  been  made  to  choose  those  men  who  would 
best  illustrate  the  most  important  phases  of  national  growth. 
Some  of  these  phases  are :  the  difficulties  and  dangers  of 
exploration,  and  how  they  were  overcome  by  earnestness 
and  perseverance ;  the  risks  and  hardships  of  settlement, 
and  how  they  were  met  and  conquered ;  the  independence 
and  patriotism  of  the  colonists,  and  how  they  triumphed ; 
the  effect  of  environment  upon  character;  the  develop 
ment  of  the  people  in  politics  and  government  and  in 
social  life;  and  the  progress  of  invention  and  its  effect 
upon  national  development. 

It  has  not  been  thought  advisable  to  break  the  conti 
nuity  of  the  narrative  by  dividing  the  text  into  sections,  or 
to  insert  many  dates  or  foot-notes,  or  to  add  analyses  and 
appendices.  At  the  end  of  each  chapter  an  Outline  is 
given  to  summarize  what  has  been  said,  and  a  few  ques- 

iii 


iv  Preface. 

tions  added  in  the  line  of  suggestion.  Each  teacher  will 
use  questions  adapted  to  the  age  of  the  pupils  and  the 
circumstances  of  the  occasion. 

The  main  idea  in  illustrating  the  book  has  been  to  give 
the  most  authentic  representations  possible  of  the  man, 
the  place,  or  the  thing  described,  so  as  to  round  out  and 
complete  the  mental  impression  gained  from  the  text.  A 
few  illustrations  which  may  be  called  imaginative  have 
been  admitted ;  these  are  chiefly  after  paintings,  based 
upon  authentic  knowledge  and  information,  or  which  are 
among  our  national  heirlooms. 

The  maps  have  been  made  as  simple  as  possible,  and 
sometimes  purely  diagrammatic  in  character;  and,  for  the 
sake  of  clearness,  only  such  details  given  in  them  as  are 
called  for  by  the  story. 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAGB 

I.  OLD-TIME  IDEAS       ....                .                i 

II.    COLUMBUS 7 

III.  THE  CABOTS 26 

IV.  DE  SOTO  AND  OTHER  EXPLORERS   .        .        .        -31 
V.  DRAKE  AND  RALEIGH       .        .        .        .        .        .40 

VI.  VIRGINIA  AND  CAPTAIN  JOHN  SMITH        ...      50 

VII.     HENRY  HUDSON 62 

VIII.    THE  PILGRIMS 67 

IX.     THE  PURITANS 85 

X.  LORD  BALTIMORE  AND  MARYLAND  ....      92 

XI.     KING  PHILIP'S  WAR 95 

XII.  PETER  STUYVESANT  AND  NEW  NETHERLAND  .        .     102 

XIII.  FATHER  MARQUETTE  AND  LA  SALLE       .        .        .     in 

XIV.  NATHANIEL  BACON    .        .        .        .        .        .        .117 

XV.    WILLIAM  PENN 123 

XVI.     OGLETHORPE  AND  GEORGIA 133 

XVII.  LIFE   IN   NEW   ENGLAND   AND    MIDDLE    COLONIES 

BEFORE   THE   REVOLUTION        ...  .  -139 

XVIII.     BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN 150 

XIX.  GEORGE  WASHINGTON. — THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN 

WAR 1 68 

XX.    THE  REVOLUTION 187 


vi 


Contents. 


CHAPTER  PACK 

XXI.  DANIEL  BOONE  .        .        .        .        .       .               .  219 

XXII.  THOMAS  JEFFERSON  .......  232 

XXIII.  LEWIS  AND  CLARK 241 

XXIV.  ZEBULON  M.  PIKE 248 

XXV.  EARLY  INVENTORS  (FITCH,  FULTON,  WHITNEY)      .  253 

XXVI.  ANDREW  JACKSON.— TECUMSEH.— THE  WAR  OF  1812  265 
XXVII.  CANALS,  RAILROADS,  TELEGRAPHS,  AND  OTHER  IN 
VENTIONS        277 

XXVIII.    OREGON.  —  WHITMAN'S  RIDE 290 

XXIX.  TEXAS.  —  MEXICAN  WAR.  — CALIFORNIA          .        .  299 

XXX.    ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 306 

XXXI.    THE  CIVIL  WAR 318 

XXXII.  THE  UNITED  STATES  IN  RECENT  YEARS                  .  329 

XXXIII.     CALIFORNIA 339 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


FACE 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON Frontispiece 

After  the  portrait  by  Gilbert  Stuart 
CARAVAN  CROSSING  THE  DESERT  ....        ....        3 

PRINCE  HENRY  THE  NAVIGATOR 4 

From  a  contemporary  Ms.  in  the  National  Library  at  Paris. 
CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS 7 

From  the  bust  in  the  Capitol  at  Rome 
COLUMBUS  EXPLAINING  HIS  PLAN  TO  THE  MONKS  OF  BURGOS     .        .      n 

After  the  picture  by  F.  M.  Dumond. 
COLUMBUS  ASKING  THE  Am  OF  QUEEN  ISABELLA        .        .        .        .13 

After  the  picture  of  the  Bohemian  artist,  Vaczlav  Brozik. 
COLUMBUS  PARTING  FROM  FERDINAND  AND  ISABELLA  ....      15 

Copied  from  De  Bry's  "  Voyages,"  a  book  of  the  sixteenth  century. 
COLUMBUS  ON  BOARD  HIS  SHIP 17 

Copied  from  De  Bry's  "  Voyages,"  a  book  of  the  sixteenth  century. 
LANDING  OF  COLUMBUS.     EARLY  MORNING,  OCT.  12,  1492  ...      20 

After  the  picture  by  Dioscora  Puebla,  the  Spanish  artist. 
A  CARAVEL  OF  COLUMBUS 23 

After  the  reconstructed  model  exhibited  at  the  Columbian  Exhibition. 
SEBASTIAN  CABOT 26 

After  the  picture  ascribed  to  Holbein. 
THE  COAST  OF  NEWFOUNDLAND  IN  WINTER  300  YEARS  AGO      .        .      28 

After  a  drawing  from  nature  by  Lieut.  A.  Thompson  in  Bonnicastle's 

"  Newfoundland." 
AMERICUS  VESPUCIUS 29 

After  the  picture  attributed  to  Bronzino  in  the  Massachusetts  Historical 

Society's  gallery. 
FACSIMILE  FROM  THE  COSMOGRAPHY  INTRODUCTIO  (1507)         .        .      30 

VASCO  DA  GAMA    .        .        .        .        .    ' 32 

PONCE  DE  LEON .      .        .        .32 

After  an  engraving  in  Herrera  Edition  of  1728. 
PONCE  DE  LEON  AND  HIS  MEN  IN  FLORIDA 33 

By  D.  Munro.    The  scenery  is  from  nature. 

HERNANDO  DE  SOTO 34 

A  SCENE  ON  DE  SOTO'S  ROUTE 35 

From  Charnay's  "Ancient  Cities  of  the  New  World." 

vii 


viii  Illustrations. 

PAGE 

DE  SOTO'S  DISCOVERY  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI  ....  36 

After  the  picture  by  W.  H.  Powell  in  the  Capitol  at  Washington. 
SIR  FRANCIS  DRAKE 41 

From  an  original  oil  painting  at  Buckland  Abbey,  England. 
IN  THE  STRAITS  OF  MAGELLAN 42 

After  the  drawing  by  E.  Whymper  in  Crawford's  "  Across  the  Pampas." 
SPANISH  TREASURE  SHIP 44 

After  drawings  in  the  English  state  papers  sent  home  by  an  English  spy. 
SIR  WALTER  RALEIGH 45 

After  the  picture  in  the  collection  of  the  Duchess  of  Dorset. 
JAMESTOWN 52 

After  the  sketch  made  by  Miss  C.  C.  Hopley  about  1857,  showing  the 

ruined  church. 
CAPTAIN  JOHN  SMITH    .        .        . 53 

From  his  "  Description  of  New  England." 
PALISADED  INDIAN  VILLAGE 55 

Algonkin  Village  of  Pomeiock  in  1585,  after  John  Wyeth. 

POCAHONTAS 57 

From  the  famous  portrait  in  Booton  Hall,  Norfolk,  England,  painted 

shortly  before  she  died. 
SHORES  OF  THE  SOUND,  ROANOKE  ISLAND 59 

After  a  sketch  from  nature. 
THE  HALF  MOON  AT  THE  HIGHLANDS 65 

After  the  painting  by  T.  Moran. 
A  HOUSE  IN  LEYDEN «  .69 

As  it  was  in  1620. 
LEYDEN 7° 

From  a  bird's-eye,  view  dated  1670. 
MODEL  OF  THE  MAYFLOWER 72 

In  the  National  Museum  at  Washington. 

PLYMOUTH  BAY  IN  MIDWINTER  280  YEARS  AGO 73 

AUTOGRAPHS  OF  THE  "  MAYFLOWER  "  PILGRIMS  .....      74 
PLYMOUTH  ROCK  .        . *        •        •      76 

From  a  photograph. 

PILGRIM  FORT  AND  MEETING-HOUSE 77 

PEREGRINE  WHITE'S  INLAID  CABINET  ....  .        .      78 

In  Pilgrim  Hall,  Plymouth. 
BREWSTER'S  SEA  CHEST  AND  STANDISH'S  IRON  POT  7& 

In  possession  of  the  Connecticut  Historical  Society  at  Hartford. 

PLATTER  AND  KETTLE  OF  MYLES  STANDISH 79 

THE  SWORD  OF  MYLES  STANDISH .80 

In  Pilgrim  Hall,  Plymouth. 


Illustrations.  ix 


PAGB 

GOVERNOR  CARVER'S  CHAIR 81 

In  Pilgrim  Hall,  Plymouth. 

THE  CHAIR  OF  JOHN  ELIOT .81 

PILGRIM  MONUMENT  AT  PLYMOUTH 82 

From  a  photograph. 
THE  MYLES  STANDISH  HOUSE  AT  DUXBURY        ...  83 

Built  in  1666,  by  his  oldest  son. 
JOHN  WINTHROP 86 

After  the  original  in  the  Massachusetts  Senate  Chamber. 

PINE  TREE  SHILLING  . 87 

CRADLE  AND  CHAIR  OF  THE  TIME  OF  THE  PURITANS          ...      90 

OLD  HOUSE  IN  SALEM,  MASS 90 

CECILIUS  CALVERT,  LORD  BALTIMORE 93 

After  a  portrait  preserved  in  the  British  Public  Record  Office. 

KING  PHILIP 95 

INDIAN  WEAPONS  . .96 

After  Cat! in. 
THE  JUNKERS  GARRISON  HOUSE 97 

After  a  painting  by  Susan  Minot  Lane. 
JOHN  ELIOT 99 

From  a  portrait  in  possession  of  the  family  of  the  late  William  Whiting. 
TITLE-PAGE  OF  ELIOT'S  BIBLE 100 

Reduced  facsimile. 
DUTCH  PLEASURE  WAGON  OF  THE  OLDEN  TIME          .        .        .        .103 

EARLY  DUTCH  COSTUMES .        .104 

PETER  STUYVESANT 105 

After  the  portrait  in  possession  of  the  New  York  Historical  Society. 
THE  STADTHUYS,  NEW  YORK,  1679      .        .        .        •    ,     •        ...      •     108 

After  Brevoort's  drawing. 
JAMES  MARQUETTE .        .     in 

From  the  statue  by  G.  Trentenove  in  the  Capitol,  Washington. 
ROBERT  CAVALIER,  SIEUR  DE  LA  SALLE       .        .        .        .        .        .114 

After  Margry's  portrait. 

BACON  AND  BERKELEV 118 

BACON'S  QUARTER  BRANCH 120 

WILLIAM  PENN 123 

At  the  age  of  22.    After  the  portrait  ascribed  to  Sir  Peter  Lely. 
FACSIMILE  OF  PART  OF  THE  ROYAL  DEED  GIVEN  TO  PENN         .     124,  125 
FACSIMILE  OF  THE  TITLE-PAGE  OF  "  A  BRIEF  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  PROV 
INCE  OF  PENNSYLVANIA" 126 

SEAL  AND  SIGNATURES  TO  "THE  FRAME  OF  GOVERNMENT"       .        .     127 


Illustrations. 


PAGE 

THE  TREATY  ELM,  PHILADELPHIA        .        .       .        ,        .       .        .129 

From  an  old  print. 

WAMPUM  BELT 130 

THE  FIRST  TOWN  HALL  AND  COURT  HOUSE,  PHILADELPHIA      .        .131 

From  an  old  print. 

JAMES  EDWARD  OGLETHORPE 133 

After  the  painting  by  Ravenet. 

A  VIEW  OF  SAVANNAH,  GEORGIA 135 

From  a  print  published  in  London  in  1741,  and  "  humbly  inscribed  to 

General  Oglethorpe." 

FEMALE  COSTUMES  OF  1776.        ........  140 

A  DAME  SCHOOL 141 

FACSIMILE  FROM  THE  NEW  ENGLAND  PRIMER 142 

TINDER  Box,  FLINT,  AND  STEEL .        .        .143 

A  NEW  ENGLAND  KITCHEN 144 

A  SPINNING  WHEEL 145 

CONESTOGA  WAGON 146 

FACSIMILE  OF  " FLYING  MACHINE"  ADVERTISEMENT  .        .        .        .148 

FRANKLIN'S  BIRTHPLACE 150 

BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN 151 

After  the  portrait  by  Duplessis,  painted  in  1783. 

FRANKLIN'S  PRINTING  PRESS 157 

In  the  custody  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution. 

FRANKLIN'S  OLD  BOOK  SHOP  IN  PHILADELPHIA 158 

FRANKLIN'S  MODEL  OF  THE  PENNSYLVANIA  FIREPLACE       .        .        .160 

Now  owned  by  the  American  Philosophical  Society. 

FRANKLIN'S  GRAVE 165 

BIRTHPLACE  OF  WASHINGTON 168 

A  SOUTHERN  HOMESTEAD I7° 

From  a  photograph. 

MOUNT  VERNON •        •       •        •  '73 

BRITISH  FOOT  GUARD.     1745 '79 

From  Grant's  "  British  Battles." 

FRENCH  SOLDIER •               •  J79 

After  a  sketch  in  the  Massachusetts  Archives. 

BRADDOCK'S  FIELD 1^1 

GENERAL  JAMES  WOLFE        .        .        .  v l&2 

After  the  print  in  Entick's  "  General  History  of  the  Late  War." 

QUEBEC  IN  THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 183 

From  an  old  print. 

STAMPS  USED  IN  1765 l88 


Illustrations.  xi 


PAGE 

A  CbLONiAL  NEWSPAPER ...    189 

Reduced  facsimile. 
THE  BOSTON  TEA  PARTY      .  .       .       5        ....    190 

From  an  old  print. 
CHARLESTON  IN  1780 191 

After  a  drawing  by  Leitch. 

SAMUEL  ADAMS .    193 

.After  the  portrait  by  Copley,  in  Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts. 
JOHN  HANCOCK 194 

After  the  portrait  by  Copley,  in  1744,  in  Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts. 
THE  MINUTE  MAN 195 

From  the  statue  at  Concord,  Mass. 
PAUL  REVERE 196 

After  the  picture  by  Gilbert  Stuart. 
THE  DECLARATION  OF  INDEPENDENCE 199 

After  the  painting  by  Trumbull. 
FACSIMILE  OF  THE  FIRST  TWO  PARAGRAPHS  OF  THE  DECLARATION 

OF  INDEPENDENCE 200 

TABLE  AND  CHAIR  USED  AT  THE  SIGNING  OF  THE  DECLARATION  OF 
INDEPENDENCE .201 

In  Independence  Hall,  Philadelphia. 
VALLEY  FORGE 202 

After  the  painting  by  A.  Gibert. 
PAUL  JONES .  •       .        .        .        .    206 

After  the  etching  of  A.  Varen. 
JOIN  OR  DIE 206 

Device  printed  in  Franklin's  Pennsylvania  Gazette,  1754. 
GENERAL  NATHANIEL  GREENE 208 

From  the  painting  by  C.  Wollson  Peale  in  1783. 
THE  SURRENDER  OF  CORNWALLIS,  October  19,  1781      .        .    •    .        .    209 

From  the  painting  by  Trumbull  in  the  Capitol  at  Washington. 
THE  STATE  HOUSE,  ANNAPOLIS 210 

From  Scharf  s  "  History  of  Maryland." 

A  FACSIMILE  OF  WASHINGTON'S  ACCOUNTS  KEPT  DURING  THE 
REVOLUTION 212, 213 

From  "  Monuments  of  Washington's  Patriotism." 

WASHINGTON  TAKING  THE  OATH  AS  PRESIDENT,  APRIL  30,  1789        .    215 
DANIEL  BOONE     .       . 220 

After  the  painting  by  C.  Harding. 
BOONE'S  FORT 226 

From  Collins's  "  Historical  Collections  of  Kentucky." 
A  PIONEER  HOME  IN  KENTUCKY 230 


xii  Illustrations. 


V»AGR 

THOMAS  JEFFERSON 233 

After  the  painting  by  Gilbert  Stuart. 
PATRICK  HENRY  ADDRESSING  THE  VIRGINIA  ASSEMBLY        .        .        .    234 

After  the  painting  by  A.  Chappel. 

MONTICELLO — THE  NORTH  FRONT 239 

MERIWETHER  LEWIS 241 

After  the  drawing  by  St.  Memin. 
WILLIAM  CLARKE 242 

From  Lewis  and  Clarke's  "  Travels." 
ZEBULON  M.  PIKE 248 

After  an  engraving  by  Gimbrede  in  the  Analectic  Magazine. 

PIKE'S  PEAK  FROM  THE  GARDEN  OF  THE  GODS 249 

ROBERT  FULTON 254 

From  D.  C.  Colden's  "  Life  of  Fulton." 
"  PERSEVERANCE  " 255 

John  Fitch's  first  steamboat  in  1787. 
THE  "CLERMONT" 258 

From  Rergart's  "  Life  of  Fulton." 
JOHN  ERICSSON  IN  1861 260 

From  W.  C.  Church's  "  Life  of  Ericsson." 

ELI  WHITNEY 261 

WHITNEY'S  COTTON  GIN 263 

After  the  original  model. 
ANDREW  JACKSON  IN  1830 265 

After  the  portrait  by  R.  W.  Earl. 

GOLD  MEDAL  PRESENTED  BY  CONGRESS  TO  ANDREW  JACKSON    .        .    272 
DE  WITT  CLINTON        .        . 278 

After  the  portrait  by  C.  Ingham. 
LOCKS  ON  THE  ERIE  CANAL 279 

As  first  constructed. 
ENTRANCE  TO  THE  ERIE  CANAL  AT  TROY 280 

From  an  old  print. 
BALTIMORE  AND  OHIO  RAILROAD,  1830 282 

From  an  old  print. 
FIRST  TRAIN  ON  THE  CAMDEN  AND  AMBOY  RAILROAD       .        .        .     283 

LETTER  CARRIER  OF  THE  OLDEN  TIME 283 

SAMUEL  F.  B.  MORSE '   •  284 

From  the  last  approved  photograph. 

THE  "GREAT  EASTERN"  PICKING  UP  THE  CABLE  OF  1865  .        .       .    289 
WHITMAN  STATION 297 

Scene  of  the  massacre. 


Illustrations.  xiii 

PAGE 

CHICAGO  IN  1820 299 

From  an  old  print. 

THE  OVERLAND  ROUTE ,  302 

A  CALIFORNIAN  WAGON  TRAIN     .  302 

From  an  old  print. 
VIEW  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO  IN  1847        •  3°3 

After  a  lithograph. 
ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 307 

From  a  photograph  taken  in  1860. 
HOUSE  IN  WHICH  LINCOLN  WAS  BORN 308 

From  a  photograph  of  the  reconstructed  log-cabin. 

LOG-CABIN  FURNITURE  .        . '  .        .    309 

A  MISSISSIPPI  FLATBOAT 311 

A  WORM  FENCE 312 

THE  CAPITOL  AT  RICHMOND 320 

FORT  SUMTER  BEFORE  THE  BOMBARDMENT 321 

MONITOR  AND  MERRIMAC 322 

An  incident  of  the  Civil  War. 
FARRAGUT  ON  THE  MAIN  SHROUDS 323 

After  the  picture  by  W.  Page. 
ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 324 

From  a  photograph. 
MCLEAN  HOUSE,  IN  WHICH  GENERAL  LEE  SURRENDERED  .        .        .    325 

From  a  photograph. 
THE  GRANT  MONUMENT,  NEW  YORK 326 

From  a  photograph. 
ROBERT  E.  LEE 327 

From  a  photograph  in  1862. 
VIEW  ON  THE  UNION  PACIFIC  RAILROAD 332 

From  a  photograph. 
WILLIAM  MCKINLEY,  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES,  1896        .    333 

From  a  portrait  by  Rockwood,  New  York. 
GEORGE  DEWEY 335 

From  a  photograph  taken  in  1899. 
MORRO  CASTLE,  OPPOSITE  HAVANA,  CUBA 336 

From  a  photograph. 
SENATE  AND  LEGISLATIVE  BUILDINGS,  HONOLULU,  HAWAII        .        .    337 

From  a  photograph. 


LIST   OF   MAPS. 


PAGE 

TOSCANELLI'S  MAP,  1474 I 

TRADE  ROUTES  TO  THE  EAST 5 

THE  WORLD  AS  KNOWN  TO  COLUMBUS 6 

COLUMBUS'S  ROUTE  TO  THE  WEST 14 

THE  GLOBE  OF  ULPIUS,  1542 31 

SPANISH  EXPLORATIONS 38 

COAST  OF  VIRGINIA  IN  THE  TIME  OF  RALEIGH 40 

VIRGINIA  IN  EARLY  DAYS 50 

HENRY  HUDSON'S  VOYAGES 63 

THE  LAND  OF  THE  PILGRIMS  AND  PURITANS       .        .        .        .        .84 

FRENCH  EXPLORATIONS 112 

ROUTE  OF  BRADDOCK'S  EXPEDITION      .        .        .        .        .        .        .177 

THE  COLONIES  IN  1776:  NORTHERN  SECTION 197 

THE  COLONIES  IN  1776:  SOUTHERN  SECTION 203- 

THE  UNITED  STATES  AFTER  THE  REVOLUTION 217 

BOONE'S  TRAIL 224 

LEWIS  AND  CLARKE'S  ROUTE 244 

PIKE'S  ROUTE 251 

WHITMAN'S  RIDE ,  293 

THE  TERRITORIAL  GROWTH  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  .        .        .        .33° 


TOSCANELLI'S  MAP,   1474. 
An  old-time  idea  of  the  sea  route  to  tlie 


An   Elementary   History  of  the 
United   States. 


OLD-TIME   IDEAS. 

THERE  were  many  wise  men  and  famous  scholars 
in  Europe  four  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago.  But 
even  the  wisest  of  them  did  not  know  that  beyond 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  —  the  Sea  of  Darkness,  as  it  was 
called  —  lay  avast  continent  in  which  not  one  white 
man  lived. 

Many  strange  stories  were  told  of  wonders  far 
away ;  tales  of  beautiful  islands,  and  of  enchanted 
fountains  that  would  bring  back  youth  to  the 
aged ;  of  seas  which  were  always  covered  with 


2  History  of  the  United  States. 

mists  and  darkness  or  in  which  horrible  monsters 
lived.  No  one  had  ever  seen  any  of  these  things, 
but  many  believed  that  the  stories  were  true. 

Quite  as  wonderful  were  the  books  which  had 
been  written  and  the  tales  which  had  been  told  by 
overland  travellers  to  the  East.  Men  knew  so  little 
about  distant  lands  and  seas  that  they  were  ready 
to  believe  almost  any  strange  story.  When  Marco 
Polo  wrote  in  his  book  of  travels  that  one  of  the 
palaces  in  Cipango l  was  roofed  with  fine  gold, 
and  that  all  the  pavements  of  the  palace  and  the 
floors  of  its  chambers  were  entirely  of  gold,  in 
plates  like  slabs  of  stone,  a  good  two  fingers  thick, 
and  that  the  windows  were  also  of  gold,  men 
were  very  ready  to  believe  him. 

But  when  the  author  of  "  Mandeville's  Travels  " 
said  that  in  his  opinion  the  world  was  round  and 
not  flat,  men  laughed  at  the  idea.  Such  a  notion 
might  do  very  well,  they  said,  for  some  foolish 
geographer  or  map  designer,  but  any  practical  man 
might  know  that  the  people  on  the  other  side  of 
the  world  would  surely  fall  off  if  it  were  round. 
The  author  of  this  book  certainly  told  some  incredi 
ble  stories,  but  this  true  thing  which  he  did  say  was 
thought  to  be  the  most  incredible  of  all. 

Spices  and  jewels,  silks  and  rich  goods,  came  in 
those  days  from  India,  but  the  journey  then  was 
much  longer  and  far  more  dangerous  than  it  is  now. 

1  Cipango  was  the  old  name  for  Japan. 


Old-Time  Ideas.  3 

Caravans  crossed  the  deserts  to  the  Mediterranean 
Sea,  bringing  goods  to  be  sent  over  the  water  in 
ships,  or  carried  over  the  mountains  to  the  countries 
of  Europe. 


CARAVAN  CROSSING  THE  DESERT. 

To  go  by  land  was  a  journey  of  several  months, 
and  traders  were  likely  to  meet  robbers  and  ene 
mies  on  the  way.  Of  these  robbers  and  enemies 
none  were  feared  so  much  as  the  rough  and  lawless 
Turks.  So  when  the  Turks  captured  the  great 


History  of  the  United  States. 


commercial  city  of  Constantinople,  in  1453,  trade 
with  India  was  brought  almost  to  a  standstill,  and 
the  European  nations  became  very  eager  to  find  a 
new  way  to  the  East. 

How  to  get  to  India  was  a  question  discussed  in 
every  seaport  of  Europe.  We,  of  course,  should 

think  at  once  of  sailing 
round  Africa ;  but  at  that 
time  men  thought  that 
Africa  stretched  so  far  to 
the  south  that  they  could 
not  pass  it. 

There  was  one  man, 
Prince  Henry  of  Portu 
gal,  who  thought  differ 
ently.  He  was  a  learned 
man  and  a  good  sailor. 
He  fitted  out  some  ships, 
and  sent  them  south  to 
try  to  find  India  in  that 
way.  But  his  sailors 
were  afraid  to  sail  far 
enough.  Though  they  came  very  near  what  is  now 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  they  did  not  quite  reach 
it;  so  Prince  Henry  never  knew  that  his  views 
were  correct. 

One  of  the  chief  seaports  in  Europe  was  Genoa, 
m  Italy.  Here  came  ships  from  all  the  countries 
on  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  In  its 


PRINCE  HENRY  THE  NAVIGATOR. 

From  a  contemporary  manuscript  in  the 
National  Library  at  Paris.  It  represents 
him  in  mourning  for  his  brother. 


Old-Time  Ideas.  $ 

streets  were  seen  men  of  every  nation,  and  strange 
languages  were  heard  on  every  side. 

Pirates,  or  corsairs,  might  be  seen  talking  with 
merchants  and  scholars ;  for  in  those  days  it  was  not 
thought  wrong  for  private  citizens  to  attack  and  to 
seize  the  ships  of  another  country,  and  corsairs 


EXPLANATION: 

Trade  Route  controlled  by  Venice 

++++++  Trade  Route  controlled  by  Genoa 

Middle  Route 

-+-4—  De  Gama's  Route 


^''''''"'A'V    s       i**"vA 


TRADE  ROUTES  TO  THE  EAST. 


were  not  ashamed  of  their  calling.  Many  of  the 
pirates  were  very  rich;  all  of  them  could  relate 
marvellous  adventures,  and  we  may  fancy  how  eager 
the  Genoese  boys  were  to  hear  these  tales  of  hair 
breadth  escapes,  of  sea-fights,  and  of  great  prizes 
captured. 


History  of  the   United  States. 


OUTLINE. 

Four  hundred  years  ago  no  one  knew  of  America. 
Monsters  were  thought  to  live  in  the  far-off  seas,  and 
enchanted  islands  were  beyond  the  mists.  Men  laughed 
at  the  idea  that  the  world  was  round.  Rich  goods  from 
India  were  brought  overland.  The  Turks  interfered  with 
this  trade.  How  to  get  to  India  by  sea  was  the  great 
question. 

What  did  the  men  of  old  times  think  of  the  ocean  and  its 
islands  ? 

Tell  what  Marco  Polo  wrote  in  his  book. 

What  were  some  of  the  stories  that  Sir  John  Mandeville  told  ? 

What  kind  of  goods  came  from  India? 

How  were  they  brought? 

What  is  said  of  Prince  Henry  ? 


?,^ 

o 


MAP  OF  THE  WORLD  A3  KNOWN  TO  COUUMBUO 

I  [UNKNOWN  I  I  KNOWN 


COLUMBUS. 

ABOUT  the  mid 
dle  of  the  fifteenth 
century,  a  bright,  in 
dustrious  boy  named 
Christopher  Colum 
bus  was  living  in 
Genoa.  His  father 
was  a  woolcomber, 
and  it  is  likely  that 
he  was  poor. 

Columbus  went  to 
sea  when  he  was 
about  fourteen  years 
old,  for  the  sea  tales 
that  he  heard,  and 
the  ships  which  he 

From  the  bust  in  the  Capitol  at  Rome.  SaW>  *****   him   ^^ 

to  be  a  sailor. 


A  sailor's  life  is  a  rough  one  at  any  tiniej  but  it 
was  a  very  rough  life  four  hundred  years  ago. 
Columbus  probably  sailed  with  some  of  the  pirates, 
and  we  suspect  that  he  went  at  least  once  to  the 
coast  of  Guinea  in  Africa,  to  get  negro  slaves. 

It  is  not  at  all  unlikely  that  he   also  sailed  far 

7 


8  History  of  the  United  States. 

north  to  Iceland.  If  he  did,  he  heard  the  Norse 
sailors  tell  of  a  far-off  land  which  some  of  their 
forefathers  had  visited  many  years  before.  This  land 
they  called  Vinland,  on  account  of  the  quantity  of 
grapes  found  there.  We  do  not  know  where  this 
land  was,  but  it  may  have  been  our  New  England. 

When  Columbus  was  about  twenty-six  years  old, 
he  went  to  live  at  Lisbon,  in  Portugal,  where  his 
younger  brother,  Bartholomew,  was  engaged  in  the 
business  of  making  and  selling  maps.  When  on 
shore  Columbus  also  drew  maps,  and  in  this  work 
he  was  very  skilful. 

For  some  years  he  had  been  studying  books  which 
told  about  the  shape  of  the  earth,  and  of  the  far-off 
lands  which  Marco  Polo,  and  Mandeville,  and  others 
had  visited. 

In  the  library  at  Seville,  in  Spain,  there  is  now  a 
book,  on  the  pages  of  which  are  notes,  in  the  hand 
writing  of  Columbus,  which  show  how  carefully  he 
read  and  studied. 

When  still  quite  young  he  had  come  to  the  con 
clusion  that  the  earth  is  not  flat,  but  shaped  like  an 
orange,  so  that  to  reach  China  and  the  island  of 
Cipango  it  was  only  necessary  to  sail  directly  west 
from  Spain.  He  was  not  the  first  man  who  believed 
the  earth  to  be  round,  for  some  of  the  old  Greeks 
and  Romans  as  well  as  Sir  John  Mandeville  had 
thought  so ;  and,  in  one  of  the  geographies  which 
Columbus  had  studied,  the  same  view  was  taught. 


Columbus.  9 

Now,  there  was  living  in  Italy  a  great  astronomer 
named  Toscanelli.  He  had  been  convinced  by 
what  Marco  Polo  had  written  about  the  shape  of 
the  earth,  and  he  had  drawn  a  map  to  show  the 
earth  as  he  imagined  it.  He  had  sent  this  map  to 
King  John  of  Portugal,  at  the  same  time  urging 
him  to  send  an  expedition  westward.  Hearing  that 
Columbus  wished  to  visit  the  land  of  spices,  Tos 
canelli  wrote  to  him  also.  Columbus,  thinking  that 
this  would  be  a  good  time  to  carry  out  his  plan, 
asked  King  John  for  ships  to  sail  westward  across 
the  sea  to  seek  for  India  and  the  east.  He  assured 
the  king  that  great  riches  and  glory  would  come 
to  Portugal  if  this  should  be  done. 

King  John  hesitated,  for  Portugal  was  at  war, 
and  the  cost  of  such  an  undertaking  would  be  great. 
However,  he  called  his  council  together,  and  asked 
their  advice.  It  is  said  that  one  of  his  council 
advised  that  Columbus  should  be  asked  for  the 
plans  of  his  proposed  voyage,  and  that  then  the 
king  should  secretly  send  a  ship  to  follow  the  course 
thus  marked  out. 

The  king  seems  to  have  followed  this  advice, 
for  he  sent  out  a  vessel,  giving  orders  to  the  captain 
to  sail  along  the  route  Columbus  had  laid  down. 
The  vessel  had  been  at  sea  but  a  few  days  when 
a  great  storm  arose,  and  the  sailors  were  so  fright 
ened  that  they  refused  to  go  any  further.  The 
captain  ordered  the  ship  to  be  turned  back ;  and 


io  History  of  the   United  States. 

the  seamen  laughed  at  the  idea  that  the  East  could 
be  reached  by  sailing  west. 

When  Columbus  found  out  how  basely  the  king 
had  treated  him,  he  was  very  angry,  and  left  Por 
tugal.  He  turned  his  steps  toward  Spain;  but  it 
was  a  poor  time  to  seek  help  from  Spain.  The 
plague,  a  terrible  disease,  had  visited  the  country, 
and  thousands  of  persons  had  died  from  it.  The 
times  were  hard,  and,  above  all,  Ferdinand  and  Isa 
bella,  the  king  and  queen,  for  more  than  three 
years  had  been  at  war  with  the  Moors,  trying  to 
drive  them  out  of  the  country. 

It  is  no  wonder  that  but  little  attention  was  paid 
to  Columbus.  He  was  put  off  again  and  again,  but 
still  he  followed  the  court  as  it  was  moved  with  the 
army  from  place  to  place.  He  persevered  for  two 
years ;  then,  weary  of  the  long  delay,  he  wrote  to 
the  king  of  Portugal,  asking  leave  to  return. 

Now  that  Columbus  was  thinking  of  going  away, 
the  king  and  queen  of  Spain  ordered  a  company 
of  learned  men  to  be  called  together  to  hear  what 
he  had  to  say  for  himself.  But  this  meeting  was 
delayed,  and  Columbus  was  much  cast  down. 

For  two  years  Columbus  lived  as  the  guest  of  a 
kind-hearted  nobleman;  then  he  told  his  benefac 
tor  that,  sick  of  waiting,  he  was  going  to  France, 
to  seek  aid  from  the  French  king.  His  friend  did 
not  wish  Spain  to  lose  the  chance  of  gaining  wealth 
and  glory,  so  he  wrote  to  Queen  Isabella  in  favor 
of  Columbus. 


Columbus. 


ii 


The  war  against  the  Moors  went  on,  and  nearly 
two  years  more  passed  by  before  Columbus  could 
get  a  hearing.  At  last  his  plans  were  laid  before 
some  learned  men.  Most  of  these  men  ridi 
culed  his  ideas.  But  one  Diego,  a  friar  and  the 


COLUMBUS  EXPLAINING  HIS  PLAN  TO  THE  MONKS  OF  BURGOS. 

After  the  picture  by  F.  M.  Dumond. 

tutor  of  one  of  the  royal  princes,  believed  that 
Columbus  was  right,  and  persuaded  the  king  and 
queen  not  to  refuse  him,  but  to  say  that  when  the 
war  with  the  Moors  was  over  they  would  see  what 
they  could  do  for  him. 

The  patience  of  Columbus  was  by  this  time  quite 


12  History  of  the  United  States. 

exhausted ;  he  had  waited  six  long  years,  and  yet 
he  seemed  no  nearer  success  than  when  he  had 
first  come  to  Spain.  He  now  made  plans  to  go  to 
France.  He  was  very  poor;  he  had  to  travel  on 
foot,  and  to  beg  bread  for  himself  and  his  little  son 
who  was  with  him. 

Just  before  he  reached  the  port  of  Palos,  where 
he  hoped  to  find  a  ship  that  would  take  him  to 
France,  he  called  at  a  convent  to  ask  for  food.  The 
prior  at  the  head  of  this  convent  was  a  learned  man, 
and  much  interested  in  geography.  He  was  much 
impressed  by  Columbus  and  he  invited  him  to  stay 
at  the  convent  and  rest. 

Now  it  happened  that  this  monk  had  been  the 
confessor  of  Queen  Isabella,  and  he  determined  to 
try  to  induce  her  to  aid  Columbus.  But  first  he 
invited  some  of  his  friends  to  come  and  talk  over 
these  new  plans  with  the  Italian  stranger.  One  of 
these  men  was  a  rich  seaman  and  merchant,  who 
was  so  greatly  moved  by  what  Columbus  said  that 
he  offered  to  help  fit  out  ships  for  such  a  voyage  as 
was  proposed.  This  merchant's  name  was  Pinzon. 

This  was  the  best  news  that  Columbus  had  heard 
for  many  a  day.  The  prior  went  to  see  the  queen, 
and  succeeded  in  gaining  her  good-will ;  she  not 
only  sent  for  Columbus,  but  also  furnished  him  with 
money,  in  order  that  he  might  return  to  the  court. 

Columbus  reached  the  court  in  the  midst  of  rejoic 
ings  at  the  great  victory  over  the  Moors,  and  no 


Columbus.  13 

one  cared  to  listen  to  the  wild  stories  of  a  foreign 
seaman.  He  began  to  think  that  he  was  to  fail 
again ;  but  this  time  he  was  to  have  his  chance, 
for,  as  soon  as  the  festivities  were  over,  he  was 
brought  into  the  presence  of  the  queen. 


COLUMBUS  ASKING  THE  AID  OF  QUEEN  ISABELLA. 

After  the  picture  of  the  Bohemian  artist,  Vaczlav  Brozik. 

Columbus  was  so  sure  of  the  riches  he  was  to 
find  that  he  asked  great  rewards.  He  said  that  he 
must  be  admiral  and  viceroy  of  the  lands  he  should 
discover,  and  also  that  he  must  have  one  tenth  of  all 
the  gold  and  silver  that  should  be  found. 

This  was  a  great  deal  to  ask,  and  we  need  not 
wonder  that  the  queen  hesitated  ;  but  Columbus  was 
firm,  and  said  he  would  leave  Spain  rather  than  yield. 


14  History  of  the  United  States. 

In  fact,  he  mounted  a  mule  and  started  off  once 
more  for  France.  When  his  friends  found  that  he 
was  determined  to  go,  they  were  very  sorry.  They 
told  the  queen  that  if  he  failed  to  find  the  Indies 
the  loss  would  not  be  very  great,  while  if  he  found 
them  the  gain  would  be  vast. 

So  earnestly  did  they  plead,  that  the  queen  con 
sented.  A  messenger  overtook  Columbus  as  he 


COLUMBUS'S  ROUTE  TO  THE  WEST. 


was  riding  sadly  away.  At  last  the  time  had  come 
for  which  he  had  been  waiting  all  these  weary  years. 
It  was  ten  weeks  before  three  small  vessels  could 
be  made  ready  for  the  great  experiment.  It  was 
hard  to  find  sailors  who  were  willing  to  go  on  such 
a  dangerous  voyage,  for  all  were  afraid  of  the  un- 


Columbus.  t£ 

known  seas.  But  on  Friday,  August  3,  1492,  a  little 
before  sunrise,  the  three  small  ships,  or  caravels, 
as  they  were  called,  started  from  the  port  of  Palos 
in  southern  Spain. 

The  names  of  the  caravels  were  Santa  Maria, 
Pinta,  and  Nina.     Of  these,  the  first  was  the  larg- 


COLUMBUS   PARTING  FROM   FERDINAND  AND  ISABELLA. 
Copied  from  "  De  Bry's  Voyages,"  a  book  of  the  i6th  century. 

est ;  it  was  about  sixty-five  or  seventy  feet  long,  and 
was  the  only  one  that  had  a  full  deck.  The  Santa 
Maria  was  commanded  by  Columbus  himself. 

Just  before  sailing,  Columbus  and   all  his  men 
went  to  a  church  and  asked  the  blessing  of   God 


1 6  History  of  the  United  States. 

on  their  voyage.  The  vessels  sailed  first  to  the 
Canary  Islands,  where  it  was  found  necessary  to 
refit  the  Pinta,  as  the  vessel  proved  to  be  leaky. 

It  was  the  6th  of  September  before  the  little 
fleet  started  again.  The  course  chosen  was  due 
west.  Head  winds  at  first  kept  the  vessels  back, 
and  the  story  goes  that  the  sailors,  like  those  of  the 
Portuguese  ships  sent  out  by  King  John,  rebelled, 
saying  that  it  was  of  no  use  to  try  to  go  any  farther. 
But  Columbus  was  a  very  different  man  from  the 
Portuguese  captain ;  he  would  not  turn  back.  Soon 
a  fair  wind  sprang  up,  and  the  ships  went  on. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  sailors  saw  objects 
which  caused  them  to  think  that  land  could  not  be 
very  far  off.  They  saw  land  birds ;  and  then  great 
quantities  of  seaweed,  which  usually  is  not  found 
except  near  some  coast;  then  a  live  crab  was  seen; 
then  a  piece  of  wood  which  had  been  carved,  show 
ing  man's  work.  But  still  the  days  went  by  and 
they  saw  no  land. 

All  this  time  the  wind  had  been  blowing  steadily 
from  the  east,  and  me  sailors  began  to  think  that 
they  never  should  have  a  chance  to  get  back. 
Fortunately,  just  as  they  were  about  to  rebel  again, 
the  wind  suddenly  shifted ;  now  their  fears  were 
dispelled,  for  they  saw  that  the  wind  did  sometimes 
change. 

One  day  a  sailor  called  out  "  Land ! "  We  may 
be  sure  that  there  was  great  excitement  on  the  ves- 


Columbus.  17 

sels  when  a  gray  shape  was  seen  on  the  horizon ; 
but  the  next  day  it  proved  to  have  been  a  cloud, 


COLUMBUS  ON  BOARD  HIS  SHIP. 

Copied  from  "  De  Bry's  Voyages,"  a  book  of  the  i6th  century. 


1 8  History  of  the  United   States. 

and  the  disappointment  was  very  great.  Though 
they  still  saw  many  birds  and  quantities  of  seaweed, 
and  on  one  day  some  grass  with  roots,  yet  no  land 
was  seen.  In  spite  of  the  murmurs  of  the  sailors, 
Columbus  kept  his  vessels  headed  due  west. 

As  they  anxiously  watched  the  birds,  it  was 
noticed  that  their  flight  was  toward  the  southwest, 
and  after  much  persuasion  the  captain  of  the  Pinta 
prevailed  upon  Columbus  to  change  his  course  so 
as  to  follow  the  birds.  Had  he  not  done  this  the 
little  fleet  would  have  come  to  the  coast  of  what 
is  now  the  United  States,  and  North  America  might 
have  become  Spanish  instead  of  English. 

It  came  to  be  the  thirty-fourth  day  since  the 
sailors  had  seen  land,  and  that  is  a  long  time  to 
see  nothing  but  sea  and  sky.  Perhaps  not  one  of 
them  had  ever  had  such  a  long  voyage  before,  and 
we  can  well  imagine  that  they  were  frightened. 
But  Columbus  encouraged  them,  telling  them  what 
riches  would  be  theirs  when  India  was  reached. 

On  the  evening  of  the  very  next  day,  Columbus 
thought  he  saw  a  light  moving  in  the  distance. 
That  night  all  was  excitement  on  board  the  vessels. 
Early  the  next  day,  Friday,  October  12,  1492, 
about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Rodrigo  de 
Triana,  a  sailor  on  the  Pinta,  shouted  "  Land ! " 
This  time  there  was  no  mistake  about  it.  It  was 
land  indeed  and  it  seemed  to  be  about  six  miles 
away. 


Columbus.  19 

When  daylight  came,  boats  were  made  ready,  and 
Columbus,  the  captains  of  the  Pinta  and  the  Nina, 
and  some  of  the  sailors,  with  the  royal  standard  of 
Spain  flung  to  the  breeze,  started  for  the  shore  of 
what  now  was  seen  to  be  a  small  island. 

When  Columbus  landed,  he  took  possession  of 
the  country  in  the  name  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella 
of  Spain,  and  all  the  little  company  fell  on  their 
knees  and  gave  thanks  that  they  had  been  brought 
safely  over  the  sea  to  this  beautiful  land. 

As  they  stood  upon  the  shore,  Copper-colored 
men  and  women  met  them.  These  people  thought 
that  Columbus  and  his  companions  were  gods,  and 
that  the  ships  with  their  great  white  sails  were  huge 
birds.  As  offerings  to  the  strangers,  the  natives 
brought  fruits,  balls  of  a  kind  of  cotton  thread, 
bright  colored  parrots,  javelins,  and,  among  other 
things,  a  few  gold  ornaments.  Nothing,  not  even 
the  curious  fruits  and  dark-skinned  men,  charmed 
the  Spaniards  so  much  as  the  gold;  for  it  was 
chiefly  in  hope  of  finding  gold  that  they  had  braved 
the  ocean's  perils  and  crossed  the  unknown  seas. 

The  natives  gladly  gave  what  they  had  brought, 
in  exchange  for  beads,  red  caps,  little  bells,  and 
cheap  ornaments.  They  wore  no  clothes,  but  their 
faces  and  bodies  were  painted  with  black,  blue,  red. 
or  such  colors  as  they  were  able  to  get, 

The  men  and  women  were  excellent  swimmers, 
and  while  the  ships  remained  near  the  island  they 


2O  History  of  the  United  States. 

would  swim  out  to  the  vessels,  bringing  in  their 
hands  various  articles,  which  they  hoped  to  ex 
change  for  beads  or  trinkets.  The  Spaniards  could 
not  understand  the  language  of  the  natives,  but 
managed  to  get  a  good  deal  of  information  by 
means  of  signs. 


LANDING  OF  COLUMBUS,  EARLY  MORNING,  OCTOBER  12,  1492. 

After  the  picture  by  Dioscora  Puebla,  the  Spanish  artist. 

Columbus  called  the  island  San  Salvador.  It 
was  one  of  the  islands  now  known  as  the  Bahamas, 
but  which  one  of  the  group  nobody  is  quite  certain. 
Many  believe  it  to  be  that  one  which  is  called 
Watling's  Island. 

Columbus  was  so  sure  that  he  had  reached  India 


Columbus.  21 

that  he  called  the  people  Indians,  and  though  it 
was  soon  known  that  he  was  wrong,  they  are  still 
called  Indians,  and  the  islands  are  known  as  the 
West  Indies. 

He  did  not  stay  very  long  at  San  Salvador,  for 
the  natives  had  not  much  gold,  and  they  told  him 
by  signs  that  it  came  from  a  land  still  farther  west. 
Moreover,  he  had  not  seen  any  precious  stones,  nor 
had  he  reached  the  cities  about  which  Marco  Polo 
had  written.  So  he  continued  his  search. 

For  three  months  he  sailed  among  the  islands, 
seeing  never  a  town,  but  still  believing  that  he  had 
come  to  India. 

When  he  reached  the  coast  of  Cuba,  he  thought 
first  that  it  was  the  mainland,  and  then  that  it  must 
be  the  island  of  Cipango.  He  was  also  greatly  dis 
appointed  in  the  quantity  of  gold  that  he  found 
among  the  natives. 

He  was  so  much  pleased  with  the  island  of  Haiti, 
however,  that  he  determined  to  build  a  city  there. 
Through  the  carelessness  of  the  pilot,  the  Santa 
Maria  was  wrecked,  but  out  of  its  timbers  a  fort 
was  built,  to  protect  the  little  party  of  men  that 
was  to  remain. 

On  Friday,  the  4th  of  January,  1493,  the  two 
little  vessels  sailed  for  Spain.  They  met  with  terrible 
storms,  and  more  than  once  Columbus  and  his 
men  in  the  Nina  despaired  of  seeing  their  homes 
again.  The  ships  were  separated,  and  Columbus, 


22  History  of  the  United  States. 

fearing  that  the  knowledge  of  his  discovery  would 
be  lost,  wrote  out  an  account  of  what  he  had  seen, 
wrapped  in  waxed  cloth  the  sheets  on  which  it  was 
written,  and  put  the  package  into  a  barrel,  which 
was  thrown  overboard.  If  the  ships  were  lost,  there 
would  still  be  a  chance  for  his  discovery  to  become 
known. 

About  the  middle  of  February,  the  Nina  reached 
the  Azores.  These  islands  belonged  to  the  Portu 
guese,  and  the  officials  took  some  of  Columbus's 
men  as  prisoners,  and  threatened  Columbus  him 
self.  At  length  the  men  were  set  at  liberty,  and 
the  Nina  was  left  to  continue  her  voyage.  After 
touching  at  Lisbon,  the  ship  entered  the  harbor  of 
Palos  on  Friday,  the  i5th  of  March,  1493. 

As  soon  as  it  was  known  that  Columbus  had 
come  back,  the  bells  were  rung,  the  shops  were 
shut  up,  and  a  great  procession  went  to  the  church, 
to  give  public  thanks  for  the  success  of  the  admiral. 

In  the  midst  of  these  rejoicings,  the  Pin  fa  came 
into  the  harbor.  The  captain  of  this  ship  was 
greatly  taken  aback  to  find  that  Columbus  was 
ahead  of  him ;  for  he  felt  sure  that  the  Nina  had 
gone  down  in  some  great  storm,  and  he  was  about 
to  claim  for  himself  the  glory  of  having  discovered 
the  new  lands. 

When  the  ship  arrived,  the  king  and  queen  were 
at  Barcelona,  far  away  on  the  other  side  of  their 
kingdom ;  and  they  sent  for  Columbus  to  come  to 


Columbus.  23 

them.  The  long  journey  was  like  a  triumphal 
march ;  the  people  everywhere  turned  out  to  see 
the  hero  pass,  and  to  gaze  at  the  Indians  and  the 
strange  things  which  he  had  brought  with  him. 


A  CARAVEL  OF  COLUMBUS. 

After  the  reconstructed  model  exhibited  at  the  Columbian  Exposition,  Chicago,  1893. 

He  had  a  truly  royal  welcome  from  the  king  and 
queen.  They  raised  him  up  when  he  would  have 
knelt,  and  made  him  sit  while  he  told  them  what  he 
had  seen  and  done.  He  showed  them  the  natives 
and  the  curiosities  and  the  gold. 


24  History  of  the   United  States. 

There  was  not  much  gold,  but  Columbus  assured 
their  Majesties  that,  as  the  rich  mines  of  Cathay  and 
Cipango  could  not  be  >car  from  the  islands,  wealth 
in  abundance  was  within  reach. 

Columbus  soon  made  ready  to  go  on  another 
voyage,  for  he  wished  to  see  how  the  little  colony 
he  had  left  was  getting  on,  and  he  longed  to  sail 
still  farther,  until  he  should  come  to  Cathay  and 
Cipango. 

Columbus  made  four  voyages  to  the  New  World, 
and  passed  through  many  hardships:  he  was  ship 
wrecked;  his  men  mutinied;  he  suffered  much. 
He  sailed  about  the  Caribbean  Sea  and  discovered 
South  America  and  Central  America ;  but  he  never 
saw  the  mainland  of  North  America,  or  knew  that 
he  had  discovered  a  new  world. 

The  Spanish  colonists  that  came  to  the  New  World 
were  a  rough  set;  they  did  not  want  to  work,  for 
when  they  left  Spain  they  thought  that  gold  and 
silver  could  be  had  for  the  picking  up. 

Columbus  was  not  a  wise  ruler,  and  his  officers 
were  jealous  of  him.  Complaints  of  his  severity 
and  bad  rule  were  brought  back  to  Spain,  and 
the  king  and  queen  sent  a  man  to  see  how  true 
these  reports  were.  This  man  ordered  Columbus 
to  be  seized,  and  sent  back  to  Spain  in  chains. 
The  chains  were  taken  off  as  soon  as  he  reached 
Spain,  and  the  man  who  had  treated  him  so  harshly 
was  punished;  but  Columbus  was  not  restored  to 


Columbus.  25 

his  old  rank.  He  made  his  fourth  voyage  after  this, 
but  died  a  poor  man,  and  neglected  by  those  for 
whom  he  had  done  so  much. 

He  was  buried  in  Spain,  but  about  forty  years 
later  his  body  was  carried  to  Haiti  and  interred  in 
the  cathedral  there.  When,  about  two  hundred 
years  later,  that  island  was  transferred  to  France,  his 
bones  were  taken  up  and  carried  in  state  to  Havana 
in  Cuba.  In  1898,  when  Spain  was  forced  by  the 
United  States  to  give  up  Cuba,  the  bones  of  the 
great  discoverer  were  carried  back  to  Spain,  and 
placed  in  the  cathedral  at  Seville,  January, 


OUTLINE. 

In  1492,  after  many  difficulties,  Columbus  set  sail  from 
Palos,  Spain,  to  find  a  direct  way  across  the  Atlantic  Ocean 
to  India.  After  a  voyage  of  more  than  a  month  he  reached, 
not  India,  but  America.  He  never  knew  he  had  found  a 
new  world.  He  died  poor  and  neglected. 

Tell  the  story  of  Columbus  as  a  boy  and  as  a  sailor. 
Tell  what  happened  to  him  in  Portugal ;  in  Spain. 
How  many  ships  did  he  have,  and  from  what  port  did  he  start? 
Tell  the  story  of  the  voyage  ;  the  landing. 
What  did  the  Spaniards  wish  to  find  more  than  anything  else  ? 
Tell  the  story  of  the  return  voyage  ;  how  Columbus  was  received 
in  Spain ;  of  his  latter  years  and  death. 

1  It  is  not  at  all  unlikely  that,  through  an  error,  the  bones  taken 
to  Cuba  were  those  of  Diego,  the  son  of  Columbus.  So  it  may  be  that 
the  ashes  of  the  great  explorer  still  rest  in  Haiti. 


THE  CABOTS. 


THE  news  of  the  discoveries  by  Columbus  quickly 
spread  through  Europe.    John   Cabot,  a  native    of 

Venice,  Italy,  and  his  son 
Sebastian  were  then  living 
in  Bristol,  England.  They 
were  great  sailors ;  so,  as 
soon  as  they  heard  what 
Columbus  had  done,  they 
also  were  eager  to  go  on 
a  voyage  of  discovery,  and 
they  fitted  out  a  vessel  in 
which  to  sail  to  the  west. 

It  was  needful,  in  those 
days,  to  get  leave  of  the 
king  to  go  on  such  a  voy 
age,  for,  unless  a  ship  was  under  the  protection  of 
a  king,  it  might  be  treated  as  a  pirate.  Henry  VII., 
king  of  England,  gladly  gave  them  leave  to  go,  and 
to  have  the  use  of  any  lands  they  might  find,  pro 
vided  he  should  be  the  acknowledged  owner  of  the 
lands.  The  king  might  very  well  do  this,  for  the  fit 
ting  out  of  the  expedition  did  not  cost  him  a  penny. 
The  Cabots  set  out  in  1497  from  Bristol,  and  were 
gone  about  three  months.  Like  Columbus  they  did 

26 


SEBASTIAN  CABOT. 

After  the  picture  ascribed  to  Holbein. 


The   Cabots.  27 

not  find  India,  but,  unlike  him,  they  did  find  the 
continent  of  North  America. 

It  is  thought  that  they  reached  the  coast  of  Nova 
Scotia  and  the  island  of  Cape  Breton.  They  went 
on  shore  and  took  possession  of  the  land  in  the 
name  of  Henry  VII.  of  England,  and  of  Venice. 
They  saw  no  inhabitants,  but  found  some  snares 
set  for  catching  game,  and  a  needle  for  making- 
nets;  these  they  carried -off. 

Their  arrival  in  England  caused  great  excite 
ment.  John  Cabot  "dressed  himself  in  silk,"  says 
a  man  who  was  in  England  at  that  time ;  "  and  the 
English  ran  after  him  like  mad,  and  called  him 
'  the  great  admiral.'  " 

John  Cabot  longed  to  make  another  voyage,  and 
the  king,  though  he  was  miserly  and  disliked  to 
spend  any  more  money  than  was  absolutely  neces 
sary,  consented  to  help  him.  This  was  in  1498. 

Little  is  known  of  this  voyage  except  that  he 
had  five  ships.  We  are  not  sure  that  his  son  Se 
bastian  went  with  him.  But  the  story  is  that  the 
Cabots  sailed  first  almost  to  Iceland,  and  then 
toward  Greenland.  They  went  so  far  north  that 
they  met  with  many  icebergs  and  much  floating 
ice. 

Feeling  sure  that  India  could  not  be  in  that 
direction,  they  turned  south.  When  near  New 
foundland  they  saw7  "  bears  come  down  to  the 
shore  and  catch  fish  with  their  paws."  "  The  sea 


28  History  of  the    United  States. 


THE  COAST  OF  NEWFOUNDLAND  IN  WINTER  300  YEARS  AGO. 

After  a  drawing  from  nature  by  Lieut.  A.  Thompson,  in  "  Bonnicastle's  Newfoundland. 


The  Cabots. 


29 


was  so  full  of  fish  that  the  ships  were  hindered 
in  sailing "  —  at  least,  this  is  the  story  they 
told. 

The  Cabots  still  kept  on,  ever  sailing  south,  until, 
it  is  supposed,  they  reached  Chesapeake  Bay,  and 
possibly  the  coast  of  what  is  now  South  Carolina. 
On  this  voyage  they  became  satisfied  that  these 
shores  were  not  those  of  India  or  of  Asia,  but  of 
"  a  new-found  land,  lying 
somewhere  between  India 
and  Europe."  But  no  gold 
or  silver,  or  jewels,  or 
silks,  did  they  find. 

The  English  were  dis 
appointed,  and,  other  mat 
ters  taking  their  attention, 
it  was  nearly  a  hundred 
years  before  they  thought 
much  of  what  John  Cabot 


AMERICUS  VESPUCIUS. 


After  the  picture  attributed  to  Bronzino 
in  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society's 
Gallery. 


and  his  son  Sebastian  had 

done.    Then  they  claimed 

the    lands    which     those 

brave   sailors   had  discovered,  because  the  Cabots 

had  sailed  under  the  English  flag,  and  had  taken 

possession  of  the  country,  so  many  years  before,  in 

the  name  of  an  English  king. 

An  Italian  sailor,  Amerigo  Vespucci,  made  several 
voyages  to  the  New  World.  The  account  which  he 
wrote  was  the  first  printed  account  of  the  new  lands 


30  History   of  the   United   States. 

beyond  the  sea.    From  him  the  New  World  has  been 
called  America.1 

JNunc  vero  &hegpartes  fiintlatms  lufirats?/  8C 

alia  quana  pats  per  America  Vefpuuum(vt  iafe 

-CtfB    quentibus  audiet ur)inucnta  eftrqua  non  video  cut 

Ame*    quis  lure  vetet  ab  Americo  inuentore  fagacis  inge 

rico        ni)  viro  Amerigen  quad  Amend  imam/fine  Ame 

licam  dicendamtcum  $C  Europa  &  Afia  a  mulietfc 

bus  fuafortitafint  nomina^Eius  fitu  8C  gentis  mo* 

xes  exbistinis  Amend  nauigationibus  quf  leqaa 

turliqiudeintelligLdatur* 

FAC-SIMILE 

Of  that  part  of  the  page  in  the  "  Cosmographiae  Introductio  "  (1507),  by  Martin  Waldsee- 
miiller,  in  which  the  name  of  America  is  proposed  for  the  New  World. 


OUTLINE. 

In  1497  John  Cabot  and  his  son  Sebastian  set  sail  from 
Bristol,  England,  and  discovered  the  continent  of  North 
America,  and  claimed  it  for  England.  They  made  a  second 
voyage,  and  sailed  along  the  coast  for  many  hundred  miles. 
The  New  World  is  called  America  from  Amerigo  Vespucci, 
whose  story  was  the  first  printed  account  of  it. 

Who  were  the  Cabots  ? 

From  what  country  did  they  set  sail? 

Tell  what  they  discovered. 

Tell  in  whose  name  they  took  possession  of  the  land. 

Tell  the  story  of  the  Cabots'  second  voyage. 

How  did  the  New  World  come  to  be  called  America? 

1  The  Latin  form  of  his  name  is  Americus  Vespucius. 


THE  GLOBE  OF  ULPIUS,  1542. 


DE   SOTO   AND    OTHER   EXPLORERS. 

IN  1497,  the  same  year  in  which  the  Cabots 
made  their  first  voyage,  Vasco  da  Gama,  who  was 
in  the  service  of  the  king  of  Portugal,  sailed  along 
the  coast  of  Africa  until  he  came  to  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope.  He  did  not  stop,  as  others  had  done, 
but  went  round  it,  crossed  the  Indian  Ocean,  and 
reached  a  land  which  he  found  to  be  the  true 

India. 

31 


32 


History  of  the  United  States. 


VASCO  DA  GAMA. 


The  king  of  Calicut  and  other  princes  gave  him 

rich  gifts  of  gold,  jewels, 
spices,  and  silks.  After 
nearly  two  years'  absence 
from  Portugal,  he  re 
turned,  bringing  with  him 
these  rich  goods.  It  was 
Portugal,  after  all,  and  not 
Spain,  that  had  discovered 
the  way  to  get  to  India 
by  sea. 

The  Spaniards  con 
tinued  to  send  out  expedi 
tions  to  the  New  World. 

One  of  the  most  famous  of  these  was  the  enter 
prise  of  Ponce  de  Leon. 
He  had  sailed  once 
with  Columbus ;  he  had 
passed  through  many 
hardships  in  various  coun 
tries  ;  and  he  longed  to 
be  young  and  strong 
again.  He  believed  in  the 
fabled  fountains  of  youth, 
one  of  which  was  sup 
posed  to  be  situated  not 
far  to  the  west  of  Cuba, 
and  he  resolved  to  seek 
it. 


PONCE  DE  LEON. 


After  an  engraving  in  "  Herrera."    Edition 
of  1728 


De  Soto  and  Other  Explorers.  33 

He  left  Cuba  in  1513,  and  soon  came  to  a  land 
which  he  named  Florida.     He  found  there  beauti- 


PONCE  DE  LEON  AND  HIS  MEN  IN 
FLORIDA. 

By  D.  Munro.     The  sceneiy  is  from  nature. 


ful    trees    and    flowers,    and     rivers    and    streams, 
but  no  fountain  of  health,  though  he  searched  far 
and  wide.     Before    long    he    left    Florida.     After 
4 


34 


History  of  the  United  States. 


some  years  he  came  back,  intending  to  establish 
a  colony. 

Soon  after  landing,  his  party  was  attacked  by 
Indians,  and  many  of  the  Spaniards  were  killed, 
De  Leon  himself  receiving  a  wound  from  an  arrow, 
from  which  he  died  within  a  few  weeks. 

Another  brave  Spaniard  was  Hernando  de  Soto. 
He,  like  so  many  others  of  his  nation,  set  out  in 

search  of  gold  and  adven 
ture.  He  had  been  in 
South  America,  but  had 
come  back  to  Spain.  Hear 
ing  of  the.  lands  to  the 
north,  which  seemed  to 
promise  so  much,  he  sailed 
again  for  the  New  World, 
taking  with  him  about  six 
hundred  men.  This  was  in 

1538. 
De    Soto    went    first    to 

Florida,    and,    on    landing, 

began  at  once  to  seek  for  gold.  Whenever  the 
Spaniards  asked  where  gold  could  be  found,  the 
Indians  always  pointed  toward  the  west;  there, 
they  said,  was  a  land  where  it  was  summer  most  of 
the  year,  and  there,  too,  were  great  quantities  of 
gold ;  so  plenty  was  it  that  men  even  wore  golden 
shoes. 

Such  a  land  was  just  the  place  for  which  De  Soto 


HERNANDO  DE  SOTO. 


De  Soto  and  Other  Explorers.  35 

and  his  companions  were  searching,  and,  with  hearts 
full  of  hope,  they  set  out  to  find  this  land  of  sum 
mer  and  of  gold. 

They  wandered  about  in  Florida  for  months — now 
pushing  through  forests  and  swamps,  now  crossing 
rivers,  and  now  getting  lost  in  wildernesses  of  vines 
and  tangled  thickets.  Still  the  Indians  pointed 


A  SCENE  ON  DE  SOTO'S  ROUTE. 

From  Charnay's  "  Ancient  Cities  of  the  New  World." 

west.  Once  De  Soto's  little  army  attacked  an 
Indian  village,  seized  a  hundred  men  and  women, 
and  carried  them  off.  The  poor  captives  were 
made  slaves  ;  iron  collars  were  clasped  around  their 
necks,  and  all  the  work  of  grinding  maize  and  carry 
ing  the  baggage  was  forced  upon  them. 

De  Soto  and  his  companions  were  not  discouraged 
by  their  failure  to  find  gold  in  Florida.     On  and  on 


36  History  of  the  United  States. 

they  went  into  the  wilderness.  They  were  hungry 
and  thirsty ;  many  were  taken  sick  and  died  ;  some 
times  bands  of  Indians  made  fierce  attacks  upon 
them ;  but  nothing  could  turn  De  Soto  back. 

For  three  years  they  wandered  on,  until  they  came 
to  a  large  stream,  which  the  Indians  called  "  The 


DE  SOTO'S  DISCOVERY  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI,  1541. 

After  the  picture  by  W.  H.  Powell,  in  the  Capitol  at  Washington. 

Great  River,"  but  which  is  now  known  as  the 
Mississippi.  The  water  was  muddy ;  in  the  stream 
were  many  trees  and  branches  carried  down  by 
the  force  of  the  current.  It  took  the  Spaniards 
thirty  days  to  build  two  barges  on  which  to  cross 
the  river.  Still  they  went  westward. 


De  Soto  and  Other  Explorers.  37 

De  Soto  sickened  and  died.  His  illness  and 
death  were  kept  secret,  through  fear  that  the  Indians, 
hearing  of  his  death,  would  attack  the  little  army. 
Finding  that  the  Indians  suspected  what  had  hap 
pened,  and  fearing  that  they  would  steal  De  Soto's 
body,  the  Spaniards  wrapped  it  in  blankets  weighted 
with  sand,  and  at  midnight  carried  it  in  a  canoe  to 
the  middle  of  the  great  river,  and  sunk  it  in  the 
stream. 

De  Soto's  followers  had  now  utterly  lost  heart, 
and  longed  to  get  back  to  their  homes  in  Spain. 
They  dared  not  attempt  to  return  by  the  path  along 
which  they  had  come,  but  tried  to  find  the  nearest 
way  to  Mexico.  After  going  some  distance  they 
lost  all  hope  of  being  able  to  reach  that  country 
overland,  and  returned  to  the  Mississippi. 

There  they  spent  the  winter.  They  determined 
to  build  boats  in  which  to  float  down  the  river  to 
its  mouth,  wherever  that  might  be.  There  was  only 
one  ship-carpenter  to  direct  the  work.  They  cut 
down  trees  for  the  timbers ;  they  made  nails  out  of 
the  chains  with  which  they  had  bound  the  poor 
Indian  slaves ;  they  made  sails  out  of  some  rude 
cloth  which  they  obtained  from  the  Indians,  and, 
after  weeks  of  hard  work,  they  were  ready  to  start 
on  their  almost  desperate  voyage. 

More  than  five  years  had  gone  by  since  they 
had  left  Spain ;  and  now  about  three  hundred,  all 
that  remained  of  that  brave  band  of  six  hundred 


38  History   of  the   United   States. 

Spanish  adventurers,  were  embarking  in  these  rude 
boats  and  in  a  few  small  canoes.  It  was  a  sad, 
weary,  famishing  company. 

Their  troubles  were  not  ended,  for  on  their  voyage 
they  were  attacked  by  hostile  Indians,  who  sunk  some 
of  their  canoes,  drowning  twelve  of  their  number. 


MAP    ILLUSTRATING    SPANISH    EXPLORATIONS. 


In  fifty-two  days  they  reached  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
and  learned  that  there  was  a  Spanish  settlement 
not  far  off.  When  they  reached  the  place  they  went 
on  shore,  and,  falling  down,  kissed  the  ground  and 
gave  thanks  to  God  for  their  deliverance. 


De  Soto  and  Other  Explorers.  39 


OUTLINE. 

Vasco  da  Gama,  in  1497,  sailed  round  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  to  India.  Ponce  de  Leon  sought  the  fountain  of 
youth  in  Florida.  De  Soto  searched  for  gold  in  Florida 
and  the  western  wilderness.  He  discovered  the  Mississippi 
River,  died,  and  was  buried  in  its  stream.  His  followers 
suffered  great  hardships. 

Tell  who  found  out  the  way  by  sea  to  India. 

Tell  the  story  of  Ponce  de  Leon. 

Tell  the  story  of  De  Soto. 

Describe  his  death  and  the  hardships  of  his  followers. 


DRAKE   AND    RALEIGH. 


THE  English  did  not  begin  to  think  much  about 
the  New  World  until  some  years  after  the  great 
Elizabeth  came  to  the  throne. 

England  had  fought  with  Spain,  and  had  been 
victorious  on  land  and  sea.  She  had  grown  to  be 


Cape  Henry 


COAST  OF  VIRGINIA    IN   THE  TIME  OF  RALEIGH 

a  great  seafaring  nation.  Her  captains  had  sailed 
to  the  West  Indies  and  to  South  America,  and  had 
captured  many  Spanish  treasure  ships. 

The  most  daring  of  these  captains  was  Francis 
Drake.  On  one  of  his  expeditions  he  landed  on 
the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  where  from  a  tree-top  he 
saw,  for  the  first  time,  the  Pacific.  He  was  filled 
with  longing  to  sail  upon  that  ocean  which  no 
Englishman  had  yet  visited.  He  returned  to  Eng- 

40 


Drake  and  Raleigh.  41 

land,  however,  and  it  was  not  until  four  years  later, 
in  1577,  that  he  set  sail  from  Plymouth  on  his  famous 
voyage.  He  started  with 
five  small  vessels,  well 
armed  and  fitted  out  for  a 
long  voyage.  His  chief 
aim  was  plunder.  He 
sailed  for  the  west  coast 
of  South  America,  where 
he  hoped  to  get  booty 
from  the  Spanish  settle 
ments,  and  to  capture  the 
Spanish  ships  laden  with 
treasure  from  Peru.  Queen 
Elizabeth  herself  was  a 
partner  in  the  venture. 

His  own  vessel,  the  Pelican,  passed  safely  through 
the  Strait  of  Magellan,  and  he  re-named  her  the 
Golden  Hind ;  the  other  vessels  either  were  lost  or 
deserted  him.  He  met  severe  storms,  which  drove 
him  far  out  of  his  course.  When  fine  weather  came, 
he  sailed  to  the  north,  touching  at  various  places  to 
get  supplies  and  plunder. 

At  Valparaiso,  he  and  his  men  surprised  and  cap 
tured  a  Spanish  ship,  the  Captain  of  the  South,  and 
secured  great  booty.  At  another  place  they  landed 
and  found  a  Spaniard  sleeping  with  fourteen  bars  of 
silver  near  him ;  they  seized  the  silver  and  left  the 
man  asleep. 


SIR  FRANCIS  DRAKE. 

From  the  original  oil  painting  at  Buckland 
Abbey,  England. 


42  History  of  the  United  States. 


IN  THE  STRAITS  OF  MAGELLAN. 

After  the  drawing  by  E.  Whymper  in  Crawford's  "  Across  the  Pampas. 


Drake  and  Raleigh.  43 

Thus  they  went  on,  capturing  vessels  and  secur 
ing  treasure.  Hearing  that  a  richly  laden  ship  had 
recently  sailed  for  Spain,  they  pursued  and  captured 
it  with  little  difficulty,  as  the  captain  had  no  idea 
that  an  English  ship  was  in  the  Pacific.  On  board 
this  vessel  were  many  jewels  and  precious  stones, 
thirteen  chests  of  silver  coins,  eighty  pounds'  weight 
of  gold,  and  twenty- six  tons  of  uncoined  silver.  It 
was  one  of  the  richest  prizes  that  had  ever  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  a  freebooter. 

After  this,  Drake  visited  the  coast  of  what  is  now 
California  and  Oregon,  calling  it  New  Albion.  He 
then  crossed  the  Pacific,  rounded  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  and,  after  three  years'  absence,  reached  Eng 
land  in  safety  with  all  his  plunder,  being  the  first 
Englishman  to  sail  around  the  world.  Queen  Eliza 
beth  received  him  with  great  favor,  dined  on  board 
the  Golden  Hind,  and  made  Drake  a  knight. 

Sir  Walter  Raleigh  was  at  this  time  one  of  the 
most  noted  men  in  England,  and  a  great  favorite 
with  the  queen.  He  was  indeed  a  gallant  gentle 
man,  a  brave  soldier,  and  a  daring  sailor.  The 
story  goes  that  once,  when  he  was  a  young  man,  he 
had  spread  his  richly  embroidered  cloak  over  a 
muddy  place  in  the  road,  so  that  Elizabeth  might 
not  wet  her  royal  feet,  and  that  this  act  of  gallantry 
greatly  pleased  the  queen. 

It  was  not  hard  for  Raleigh  to  gain  the  queen's 
permission  to  send  out  two  snips,  chiefly  at  his  own 


44 


History  of  the  United  States. 


cost.  The  vessels  reached  what  is  now  Roanoke 
Island,  off  the  coast  of  North  Carolina.  This  was 
about  ninety  years  after  the  voyage  of  the  Cabots. 

The  explorers  found  a  number  of   Indians  who 
were  very  friendly.     When  some  of  the  men  landed, 


SPANISH  TREASURE  SHIP. 

After  drawings  in  the  English  State  papers  sent  home  by  an  English  spy. 

the  Indian  chief  sent  them  every  day  deer,  fish, 
melons,  and  the  "  corn  of  the  country,"  which  the 
English  said  was  "  very  fair,  white,  and  well  tasted." 
As  Raleigh  had  sent  out  the  ships  only  to  explore, 
it  was  soon  time  to  return.  The  explorers  brought 


Drake  and  Raleigh. 


45 


back  with  them,  among  other  things,  buffalo  and 
deer  skins,  a  bracelet  of  "  pearls  as  big  as  peas,"  and 
two  of  the  natives. 

When  Raleigh  heard  the  report  of  this  expedition, 
he  named  the  land  Virginia,  in  honor  of  Elizabeth, 
who  liked  to  be 
known  as  the 
Virgin  Queen. 
After  this  voyage 
he  styled  himself 
"Walter  Raleigh, 
soldier,  lord,  and 
governor  of  Vir 
ginia." 

Raleigh  sent 
out,  the  next 
year,  1585,  about 
one  hundred  col 
onists  to  settle 
on  Roanoke  Isl 
and.  These  colo 
nists  had  a  hard 
time.  Like  so 

many  others  of  the  early  days,  they  had  gone  out  to 
the  new  country  in  the  expectation  of  having  an 
easier  life  than  they  had  led  at  home;  but  they  knew 
neither  how  to  work  nor  how  to  adapt  themselves 
to  their  surroundings. 

When    the    great    captain,    Sir    Francis    Drake, 


SIR  WALTER  RALEIGH. 

After  the  picture  in  the  collection  of  the  Duchess  ot 
Dorset. 


46  History  of  the  United  States. 

stopped  at  the  island  on  his  way  home  from  the 
West  Indies,  though  it  was  only  about  a  year  since 
Raleigh's  colonists  had  left  England,  they  were  eager 
to  go  back  with  him.  Drake  tried  to  persuade  them 
to  remain,  but  a  great  storm  arose,  and  leaving 
everything  they  hurried  on  board  Drake's  ships, 
which  set  sail  for  home. 

Only  a  few  days  after  they  had  gone,  a  ship, 
loaded  with  supplies  which  Raleigh  had  sent  for 
his  infant  colony,  arrived  and  found  no  one.  Two 
weeks  later,  three  more  ships  came,  but  of  course 
no  trace  could  be  found  of  the  colonists.  Sir  Rich 
ard  Grenville,  the  commander,  wishing  to  hold  the 
place  for  the  English,  left  fifteen  men,  with  provi 
sions  enough  to  last  them  two  years. 

About  a  year  later,  a  ship  with  more  colonists 
came  to  look  after  the  little  band  Grenville  had 
left.  When  they  landed  they  found  no  living  per 
son,  but  Only  some  human  bones  lying  on  the 
ground.  The  houses  which  the  first  party  had 
built  were  still  standing,  but  in  the  roofless  huts, 
melons  were  growing  and  wild  deer  were  feeding. 

Grenville  had  treated  the  natives  with  much  harsh 
ness  and  there  could  be  little  doubt  that  the  miss 
ing  colonists  had  been  murdered  by  the  Indians, 
whose  first  kindly  welcome  had  been  met  so  ungra 
ciously. 

Soon  after  the  arrival  of  this  new  band,  a  little 
girl  was  born  on  Roanoke  Island,  —  the  first  child 


Drake  and  Raleigh.  47 

born  in  America  of  English  parents.  Her  name  was 
Virginia  Dare.  Shortly  after,  the  ships  returned  to 
England,  leaving  the  little  colony  to  itself. 

England  was  at  war  with  Spain,  who  was  mak 
ing  every  effort  to  crush  her  rival.  Spain  gathered 
together  a  great  fleet,  which  she  was  so  sure  could 
never  be  beaten  that  she  called  it  the  "  Invincible 
Armada." 

Raleigh,  in  common  with  all  other  Englishmen, 
was  now  thinking  of  the  defence  of  his  country,  and 
could  not  send  out  any  aid  to  the  colony.  But  soon 
the  Armada,  after  being  worsted  by  the  English, 
was  scattered  by  a  great  storm,  and  the  great  danger 
to  England  and  English  ships  had  passed  away. 
Vessels  were  again  allowed  by  the  government  to 
sail,  and  an  expedition  set  out  for  Roanoke  Island. 

Three  years  had  passed  since  anything  had  been 
heard  from  the  settlers.  When  the  vessels  reached 
the  place,  the  sailors  blew  with  a  trumpet  and  sang 
some  English  songs,  but  they  received  no  answer. 
Not  one  of  the  colonists  could  be  found.  The 
houses  had  been  taken  down,  and  the  whole  place 
was  desolate. 

At  last,  on  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  the  bark  of  which 
had  been  stripped  off,  they  saw  carved,  in  clear,  well- 
formed  letters,  the  word  CROATOAN  ;  that  was  the 
only  trace  that  was  found  of  the  former  colonists. 
All  had  disappeared,  including  the  little  Virginia 
Dare,  and  to  this  day  no  one  knows  certainly  what 


48  History  of  the  United  States. 

became  of  them.  It  is  most  likely  that  for  some 
reason  they  moved  to  another  island,  called  Croa- 
toan.  Here  they  doubtless  had  been  attacked  by  the 
Indians,  when  some  were  killed  and  the  others  taken 
into  captivity;  for,  many  years  after,  stones  were 
told  of  pale-faced  persons  living  among  the  Indians. 

It  was  a  hundred  years  after  the  discovery  of  the 
New  World,  and  still  England  had  no  permanent 
colony  in  America.  Raleigh  had  spent  a  large  for 
tune  in  trying  to  settle  colonies,  only  to  be  sadly 
disappointed.  But  he  was  a  man  who  put  before 
himself  the  motto,  "  Do  all  things  with  thy  might," 
so  he  tried  again. 

This  time  he  sent  out  Bartholomew  Gosnold  to 
seek  for  Nurembega,  as  New  England  was  called. 
Gosnold  sailed  northward,  and  landed  on  one  of  the 
islands  near  the  mouth  of  Buzzards  Bay.  Here,  in 
1602,  he  built  a  fort,  but  it  was  soon  abandoned. 
The  name  Elizabeth,  which  Gosnold  gave  to  the 
island  in  honor  of  the  queen,  a  name  now  borne  by 
the  whole  group,  is  all  that  remains  to  tell  of  this 
effort  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh.1 

Sir  Walter  Raleigh's  plans  failed,  but  he  was v 
after  all  the  pioneer  in  English  settlement.  He  is 
remembered  not  only  for  his  great  perseverance, 
but  also  because  to  him,  more  than  to  any  other 
person,  Europe  owes  the  early  introduction  of 
potatoes  and  tobacco. 

1  The  island  is  now  called  Cuttyhunk. 


Virginia  and  Captain  John  Smith.         51 

enough  to  make  many  willing  to  cross  the  ocean. 
Crossing  the  ocean  in  those  days  meant  more 
than  it  does  now,  for  the  largest  ships  were  small 
compared  with  those  of  our  day.  The  cabins  were 
small,  close,  and  unhealthy ;  the  rigging  and  sails 
were  clumsy.  There  were  no  charts  to  guide  the 
captains,  no  lighthouses  to  warn  of  dangerous 
shores,  and  no  buoys  to  mark  the  rocks  and  shoals. 
Men  felt  that  they  were  taking  their  lives  in  their 
hands  when  they  started  to  cross  the  seas. 

In  the  year  1606,  two  English  companies  were 
formed,  for  the  double  purpose  of  trading  with  the 
New  World  and  of  planting  colonies  in  it.  One  was 
called  the  London  Company,  because  most  of  those 
who  belonged  to  it  lived  in  or  near  London,  and  the 
other  was  called  the  Plymouth  Company,  because 
many  of  its  members  lived  in  or  near  Plymouth. 

Efforts  at  settlement  were  now  begun  in  earnest, 
and,  in  the  same  year,  the  London  Company  sent 
out  three  vessels  with  men  who  expected  to  stay  in 
the  New  W  orld.  Strange  to  say,  they  took  no  women 
with  them,  just  as  if  men  could  be  contented  to  live 
any  length  of  time  without  wives,  or  could  have  real 
homes  without  women. 

It  was  a  strange  company.  Of  the  one  hundred 
and  five  men,  only  twelve  called  themselves  labor 
ers;  about  half  said  they  were  "gentlemen,"  which 
meant  that  they  neither  knew  how  to  work  nor 
wished  to  learn.  There  were  four  carpenters,  only 


52  History  of  the  United  States. 

one  blacksmith,  one  bricklayer,  one  tailor,  one  mason, 
and  two  doctors. 

The  vessels  left  England  in  December,  and  it 
was  May,  1607,  before  they  reached  Chesapeake 
Bay.  The  capes  at  its  mouth  they  named  Cape 
Charles  and  Cape  Henry,  for  two  sons  of  the 
king,  and  a  point  of  land  opposite  the  mouth  of  the 


JAMESTOWN. 

After  the  sketch  made  by  Miss  C.  C.  Hopley  about  1857,  showing  the  ruined  church. 

bay  seemed  so  cheering  after  their  long  voyage  that 
they  called  it  Point  Comfort.  A  beautiful  river  they 
called  the  James,  after  the  king,  and  on  its  banks 
they  began  to  build  a  town  which  they  named 
Jamestown. 

Among   the   colonists    there  was   a  young  man 
who  was   called   Captain    John  Smith.      So  many 


Virginia  and    Captain  John  Smith.         53 


stories  have  been  told  about  him  that  one  hardly 
knows  what  to  believe.  What  we  really  know  about 
him  shows  that  he  was  no  common  man,  and,  if 
half  that  he  says  of  himself  is  true,  few  men  ever 
had  more  surprising  adventures.  Many  of  his 
stories  are  quite  as  strange  as  those  of  Sir  John 
Mandeville  and  Marco  Polo. 

Captain  Smith  tells  us  that  he  ran  away  from 
home  when  he  was  a  mere  boy,  that  he  became  a 
soldier,  and  afterward  a  sailor.  He  was  ship 
wrecked  ;  he  was 
robbed ;  at  one 
time  he  was 
thrown  into  the 
sea,  because 
those  on  board 
the  ship  thought 
that  he  had  been 
the  cause  of  a 
great  storm-  He 
says  that  he 
fought,  single 
handed,  three 
Turks,  and  cut 
off  their  heads. 

At    another 
time,     he      was 

taken  prisoner  by  the  Turks,  and  sold  as  a  slave. 
He  was  then  sent  as  a  gift  to  a  young  Turkish  lady. 


CAPTAIN  JOHN  SMITH, 

From  the  map  in  his  "  Description  of  New  England." 


54  History  of  the  United  States. 

who  was  attracted  by  his  intelligence,  and  much 
moved  by  his  misfortunes.  Dreading  lest  her  mother 
should  see  that  she  was  getting  fond  of  her  slave, 
and  fearful  that  he  might  be  sold,  she  sent  him  to 
her  brother,  who  proved  to  be  a  very  hard  master. 
He  treated  Smith  cruelly,  put  an  iron  collar  round 
his  neck,  and  set  him  to  work  beating  out  grain  with 
a  club  instead  of  a  flail. 

One  day  his  master  came  along  and  struck  him. 
This  made  Smith  so  angry  that  he  raised  the  club 
he  was  using,  and  killed  his  master  with  it.  Smith 
knew  that  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  try  to  es 
cape,  so  he  dressed  himself  in  his  master's  clothes, 
leaped  on  a  horse,  and  rode  off  as  fast  as  possible. 
He  managed  to  rid  himself  of  his  iron  collar  and  to 
reach  Russia;  and,  after  many  wonderful  adventures, 
he  came  to  England. 

When  Smith  heard  of  the  expedition  about  to 
start  for  Virginia,  he  thought  that  this  was  just 
the  thing  for  him,  so  he  joined  the  company  that 
was  going  out.  But  his  adventures  were  not  ended, 
for  on  the  voyage  he  was  accused  of  mutiny,  and 
was  put  in  irons  until  the  vessel  reached  America. 

As  soon  as  the  company  landed,  Smith  claimed 
the  right  to  be  tried ;  a  trial  was  granted,  and  he 
was  found  innocent.  No  matter  what  happened 
to  him,  Smith  never  seemed  to  be  cast  down ;  his 
energy  and  self-reliance  were  equal  to  every  occa 
sion. 


Virginia  and  Captain  John  Smith.        55 


Though  he  was  only  twenty-eight  years  oldr  fond 
of  telling  marvellous  stories,  and  certainly  a  good 
deal  of  a  boaster,  he  appears  to  have  had  more 
common-sense  than  any  one  else  in  the  company. 

When  the  colonists  arrived  in  America  the 
weather  was  pleasant,  and  they  were  in  no  hurry 
to  build  houses,  especially  as  that  would  be  hard 
work,  which  they  did  not  like.  When  the  summer 
came,  with  its  heat,  so  much  greater  than  that  of 
England,  many  were  taken  sick  and  died ;  the 
whole  settlement,  in 
fact,  was  like  a  hos 
pital.  When  this 
trouble  was  over,  a 
number  of  men  con 
cluded  to  go  back  to 
England,  but,  by  en 
couraging  some  of 
them  and  threatening 
others,  Smith  man 
aged  to  quiet  their 
discontent. 

Food   was    scarce, 
so  Smith,  with  six  or  , 

Algonkm     village     of     Pomeiock,     on    Albemarle 

Seven     OtherS,    Set     OUt         Sound,   in    1585.      After  John  Wyth,    copied    in 

Morgan. 

to    try    to   get  some 

corn  from  the  Indians.  At  first  the  Indians,  know 
ing  that  the  white  men  were  hungry,  offered  only 
a  handful  or  so  of  the  grain  in  exchange  for  the 


PALISADED  INDIAN  VILLAGE. 


56  History  of  the  United  States. 

articles  which  had  been  brought.  Smith  soon  saw 
that  there  was  little  prospect  of  doing  anything  in 
the  way  of  trade,  and  told  his  men  to  fire  their  guns. 
The  noise  and  smoke  frightened  the  Indians  so 
that  they  ran  off  as  fast  as  they  could. 

After  a  while  the  Indians  returned,  and  with 
some  difficulty  an  arrangement  was  made  with 
them  by  which,  in  exchange  for  beads,  copper,  and 
hatchets,  they  brought  the  Englishmen  venison,  tur 
keys,  wild  fowl,  and  other  articles  of  food.  It  was 
long  since  the  settlers  had  had  such  a  feast. 

Men  still  thought  that  America  was  a  narrow 
country  from  east  to  west,  and  that  there  must  be 
somewhere  a  strait,  or  river,  through  which  ships 
might  sail  to  India.  Captain  John  Smith  hoped 
to  find  such  a  passage,  and  several  times  made 
excursions  around  Chesapeake  Bay  in  search  of  it. 

At  one  time,  with  a  party  he  explored  the  Chicka- 
hominy  River.  He  had  some  surprising  adventures, 
an'd  was  captured  by  the  Indians.  He  should  have 
been  killed,  he  says,  had  he  not  thought  of  his 
pocket  compass.  The  moving  needle  which  the 
Indians  saw  but  could  not  touch,  because  of  the 
glass  cover,  astonished  them  so  much  that  they 
spared  his  life.  But  they  did  not  let  him  go.  He 
was  led  to  a  village  where  many  Indians,  who 
were  gayly  painted  and  strangely  ornamented  with 
skins  and  feathers,  danced  around  him,  yelling  and 
screeching. 


Virginia  and  Captain  John  Smith.        57 

He  was  then  taken  to  a  long  hut  and  closely 
watched.  He  was  given  plenty  of  food,  but  he  was 
afraid  to  eat  much,  for  he  thought  that  they  were 
trying  to  make  him  fat  before  the  time  came  to 
kill  and  eat  him.  At  last  the  principal  chief  de 
cided  to  put  Smith  to  death. 

As  Smith  tells  the  story  in  one  ,of  his  books, 
he  was  brought  into  a  large  hut,  his  head  was 
placed  on  "  two  great  stones," 
and  the  Indians  had  their 
clubs  raised  to  beat  out  his 
brains,  when  the  daughter  of 
the  chief,  a  girl  ten  or  twelve 
years  old,  rushed  out  of  the 
crowd,  took  Smith's  head  in 
her  arms,  laid  her  own  upon 
it,  and  thus  saved  his  life. 

This  is  Smith's  own  story, 
but,  as  he  said  nothing  about 
this  incident  until  several  POCAHONTAS. 

vparx    aftprwarH     manv   think    From  the  famous  P°rtrait  in  Booton 
years   aiixrwaia,   many        QK     Halu  Norfolk>  England,  painted 

that  it  is  one  of  the  marvel-  shortly  before  she  died 
lous  tales  that  he  was  so  fond  of  telling.  There  is 
no  doubt,  however,  that  Powhatan  and  Pocahontas 
were  real  persons.  Powhatan  soon  sent  Smith  back 
to  Jamestown.  He  found  the  colonists  in  a  bad  way, 
and,  had  it  not  been  for  the  corn  which  they  got 
from  the  Indians,  much  of  which  Smith  says  was 
brought  by  Pocahontas,  many  must  have  starved. 


58  History  of  the  United  States. 

Pocahontas  was  not  only  the  means  of  supplying 
the  English  with  food,  but  more  than  once,  when  the 
Indians  were  about  to  make  attacks,  she  gave  warn 
ing,  and  thus  put  the  colonists  on  their  guard. 

Pocahontas  afterward  married  John  Rolfe,  one 
of  the  Englishmen.  She  visited  England  with  her 
husband,  and,  after  being  made  much  of,  was  about 
to  start  on  her  return  to  America  when  she  was 
seized  with  smallpox  and  died.  She  left  a  little  boy, 
from  whom  several  well-known  Virginia  families  are 
proud  to  trace  their  descent. 

The  settlers  were  by  this  time  almost  completely 
discouraged,  but  soon  more  men  arrived.  These, 
however,  were  of  the  same  sort  as  the  first  ship-load. 
Smith  was  now  chosen  president  of  the  colony. 
He  made  a  rule  that  nobody  should  eat  who  did  not 
work.  The  so-called  gentlemen  did  not  like  this 
rule  at  all,  but  they  were  forced  by  the  others  to  obey, 
and,  as  long  as  Smith  was  at  the  head,  affairs  were 
in  better  condition.  He  was  almost  the  only  one 
of  the  early  explorers  who  wasted  no  time  in  search 
ing  for  gold  and  silver,  and  who  saw  the  necessity 
of  steady  work. 

In  the  spring  of  1609,  five  hundred  emigrants 
from  England  arrived,  among  them  some  women 
and  children.  Smith's  rule  seemed  harsh,  and  he 
became  unpopular.  He  claimed  to  have  suffered 
some  bodily  injury ;  at  any  rate,  he  said  he  must 
return  to  England  to  have  his  wound  properly 


Virginia  and  Captain  John  Smith.        59 

dressed.  It  is  more  likely  that  he  was  dissatisfied 
with  the  condition  of  affairs  in  the  colony,  and  took 
advantage  of  a  good  excuse  to  get  away. 

After  he  left,  affairs  went  on  from  bad  to  worse. 
There  was  no  one  to  take  Smith's  place  in  dealing 
with  the  Indians,  and  they  became  very  hostile. 
No  food  could  be  had.  Fishes  abounded  in  the 


SHORES  OF  THE  SOUND,  ROANOKE  ISLAND. 

After  a  sketch  from  nature. 

rivers  and  bay,  but  only  one    man    seems    to  have 
thought    it    worth    while    to    catch    any. 

In  their  desperation,  the  colonists  ate  all  the 
animals  they  had  brought  with  them,  not  only  their 
dogs  but  also  their  horses.  Then  they  ate  rats, 
mice,  and  snakes.  By  June,  1610,  there  were  only 
sixty  men  left  of  the  five  hundred  of  the  year  before. 


60  History  of  the  United  States. 

Just  when  there  seemed  to  be  no  hope,  two  little 
vessels  made  their  appearance.  They  were  vessels 
which  had  been  built  at  the  Bermuda  Islands  by  a 
crew  shipwrecked  on  the  way  to  Virginia.  They 
had  plenty  of  provisions,  which  they  had  collected 
on  the  islands,  and  so  the  lives  of  the  colonists  were 
saved. 

The  settlers,  however,  thoroughly  disheartened, 
determined  to  leave  Virginia,  and  try  to  reach  New 
foundland,  or  some  place  where  they  might  find  a 
way  to  get  back  to  England.  All  had  embarked  in 
the  little  vessels,  and  were  actually  sailing  for  the 
mouth  of  the  bay,  when  they  met  a  ship  bringing  a 
new  governor  for  Virginia,  and  more  colonists.  So 
they  decided  to  turn  back  and  begin  life  over  again 
in  America. 

The  London  Company's  Virginia  business  was 
poorly  managed  in  England.  Many  persons  had 
invested  money,  and  complained  that  it  was  bring 
ing  no  return.  As  the  lands  and  goods  were  held 
in  common  by  the  colony,  it  soon  came  to  pass  that 
the  lazy  ones  left  all  the  work  for  the  industrious  to 
do,  and  many  complaints  came  from  the  overworked 
colonists.  The  governor  was  harsh,  and  very  likely 
unjust.  In  the  colony  there  were  few  women  ;  and 
real  homes,  without  which  a  settlement  cannot 
become  a  permanent  success,  were  unknown. 

Many  young  women  were  persuaded  to  go  out  to 
Virginia,  the  colonists  paying  their  passage  and 


Virginia  and   Captain  John   Smith.        6 1 

other  expenses,  and  taking  them  for  wives.  As  the 
number  of  men  was  far  greater  than  that  of  the 
young  women,  the  latter  could  do  much  as  they 
pleased.  For  thirteen  years,  this  way  of  supplying 
wives  was  kept  up. 

When  there  were  homes  in  Virginia  there  was 
no  more  talk  of  returning  to  England;  and  as  the 
colonists,  meantime,  found  a  very  profitable  crop  in 
tobacco,  they  were  more  than  willing  to  remain. 
Then,  too,  children  and  young  persons  were  grow 
ing  up  who  had  never  known  England,  and  who 
loved  the  free  life  of  the  new  country. 


OUTLINE. 

The  hope  of  finding  gold  and  silver  made  many  cross 
the  ocean.  In  1606  two  English  companies  were  formed 
for  trading  and  colonizing.  The  colonists  were  ill-fitted 
for  their  life.  They  reached  Virginia  in  1607  and  founded 
Jamestown.  Captain  John  Smith,  the  clearest-headed  man. 
His  life.  Story  of  the  sufferings  of  the  colonists,  and  what 
he  did  to  help  them.  Powhatan  and  Pocahontas.  Further 
history  of  the  colony. 

Tell  what  two  companies  were  formed  for  colonizing  America ; 
the  kind  of  men  who  went  out. 

When  did  the  ships  reach  Virginia,  and  what  town  did  they 
establish? 

Give  the  story  of  Captain  John  Smith's  life. 

What  did  he  do  for  the  colony? 

Tell  the  story  of  Pocahontas ;  of  the  colonists  after  Smith  left 


HENRY    HUDSON. 

THE  Dutch,  at  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  were  great  sailors  and  traders.  No  country 
in  the  world  owned  more  ships  than  did  Holland. 
The  Dutch  had  a  large  trade  with  the  East  Indies, 
and  longed  for  a  shorter  route  to  these  regions. 
They  were  of  the  opinion  that  such  a  route  could 
be  discovered,  either  by  sailing  to  the  north  of 
Europe,  or  else  by  finding  a  passage  through  the 
continent  of  North  America. 

They  wanted  a  sea  captain  to  take  charge  of  an 
exploring  expedition,  and  they  looked  about  for  one 
who  had  sailed  in  the  northern  and  westerpi  seas. 
Hearing  of  Henry  Hudson,  an  English  sailor  who 
had  made  some  daring  voyages,  they  sent  for  him. 

Satisfied  that  he  was  the  kind  of  man  they  wanted, 
they  gave  him  the  command  of  a  small  ship  called 
the  Half  Moon,  in  which  to  search  for  the  desired 
"  Northwest  Passage,"  or  some  other  short  route  to 
India. 

Henry  Hudson  first  sailed  along  the  coast  of 
Norway,  passing  North  Cape ;  but  he  met  with  so 
much  ice  that  he  had  to  turn  back.  This  did  not 
discourage  him.  He  had  received  from  his  friend, 

62 


Henry  Hudson.  65 

was  forced  to  give  up  all  hope  of  reaching  India 
in  that  way.  He  returned  to  England  in  Novem 
ber,  1609.  He  was  not  allowed  to  go  to  Holland, 
but  he  sent  a  report  of  his  failure. 

He  gave,  however,  such  attractive   accounts  of 
what  he  had  seen,  and  especially  of  the  furs  which 


THE  "HALF  MOON"  AT  THE  HIGHLANDS. 

After  the  painting  by  T.  Moran. 

could  be  obtained  from  the  Indians  in  exchange 
for  mere  trifles,  that  the  Dutch  sent  out  men  to 
trade  with  the  Indians. 

Hudson  now  started  on  another  voyage  in  search 
of  a  northwest  passage  to  India.  He  went  far  to 
the  north,  and  discovered  the  great  bay  which  has 
been  named  for  him.  He  spent  three  months  in 
exploring  the  shores  of  this  bay,  and  then,  before 


66  History  of  the  United  States. 

he  could  get  away,  his  vessel  was  caught  in  the 
ice,  and  was  held  fast  for  more  than  seven  months. 

Soon  after  the  ice  broke  up,  Hudson's  men  muti 
nied,  and  seizing  him  and  his  son  and  six  other 
men,  who  were  sick  or  unfit  to  work,  put  them 
into  an  open  boat.  They  were  given  a  little  food, 
some  powder  and  shot,  and  then  set  adrift.  One 
other  man  joined  the  castaways  of  his  own  accord. 
The  little  boat  soon  disappeared  among  the  floating 
ice. 

The  mutinous  crew  suffered  extreme  privations, 
and  many  of  them  died.  The  survivors  made  their 
way  out  of  the  ice  after  a  time,  and,  having  met  a 
ship  which  came  to  their  assistance,  finally  reached 
Ireland.  As  for  Hudson  and  his  eight  companions, 
nothing  more  was  ever  heard  of  them. 

OUTLINE. 

The  Dutch  wished  to  find  a  passage  to  India  and  em 
ployed  Henry  Hudson.  He  sailed  to  Newfoundland,  and 
along  the  coast  to  Chesapeake  Bay  ;  turned  back  and 
discovered  New  York  Bay  and  Hudson  River;  returned 
to  Europe;  started  on  another  voyage  and  discovered 
Hudson's  Bay,  where  he  met  his  death. 

Why  did  the  Dutch  employ  Hudson? 

Tell  the  story  of  his  first  voyage  ;  of  his  discoveries. 

How  did  he  meet  his  death? 


THE   PILGRIMS. 

THREE  hundred  years  ago  it  was  commonly 
thought  that  men  and  women  should  worship  God 
in  the  way  that  the  government  of  their  country 
thought  best.  If  any  one  refused  to  do  this,  he  was 
punished  :  he  might  be  made  to  pay  a  fine,  his  goods 
might  be  taken  away  from  him  ;  he  might  be  sent 
out  of  the  country  away  from  his  home  and  friends, 
and  forbidden  to  come  back ;  he  might  even  be  sold 
into  slavery,  or  something  very  much  like  it. 

It  may  be  hard  to  believe  that  England  treated 
her  own  people  thus,  but  even  the  great  Queen 
Elizabeth  held  that  all  men  should  conform ;  that  is 
to  say,  they  should  act  alike  in  religious  matters. 

Now  in  England  there  were  good  men  and 
women  who  believed  that  there  were  many  things 
in  the  church  services  which  ought  to  be  given  up, 
in  order  that  the  worship  of  God  might  be  more 
simple,  or  pure,  as  they  liked  to  say.  Because  these 
people  wished  to  purify  the  church  service,  they 
came  to  be  called  "  Puritans." 

Others  thought  that  the  only  thing  to  do  was  to 
leave  the  church  or  separate  from  it,  so  that  they 
could  worship  as  they  thought  right.  Neither  the 
"  Puritans  "  nor  the  "  Separatists,"  as  these  latter 

67 


68  History  of  the   United  States. 

were  called,  believed  that  the  king  of  the  country 
should  be  the  head  of  the  church. 

A  little  band  of  "  Separatists  "  was  accustomed  to 
meet  at  a  small  village,  not  far  from  the  centre  of 
England,  called  Scrooby.  They  were  watched  day 
and  night,  and  some  were  seized  and  put  into  prison. 

Sadly  they  came  to  see  that,  if  they  wished  to 
keep  on  in  their  way  of  worship  and  belief,  they 
should  have  to  leave  their  homes  and  seek  another 
country  in  which  to  live.  Hearing  that  in  Holland 
there  was  freedom  of  worship  for  all  men,  they 
resolved  to  go  there. 

The  very  same  year  in  which  Captain  John  Smith 
went  to  Virginia  with  the  Jamestown  colony,  this 
little  band  of  men  and  women  began  their  journey 
to  Holland.  They  hired  a  captain  to  take  them  in 
his  vessel  across  the  North  Sea.  They  were  to 
start  from  old  Boston  in  Lincolnshire. 

The  captain  did  not  meet  them  as  he  had  prom- 
ised,  but  kept  them  waiting  a  long  time  in  uncer 
tainty.  When  he  did  come,  he  took  them  on  board 
the  ship  at  night.  Now  they  thought  they  were  off 
at  last,  but  the  captain  had  told  the  king's  officers 
all  about  them,  and  before  the  ship  put  to  sea,  the 
officers  came  on  board,  seized  the  would-be  emi 
grants,  put  them  into  an  open  boat,  and  there 
searched  them  in  a  very  rough  manner,  to  see  if 
they  had  any  money. 

Deprived  of  their  money,  books,  and  other  goods, 


The  Pilgrims.  69 

the  poor  emigrants  were  then  cast  into  prison. 
After  a  month  or  so,  most  of  them  were  set  free, 
though  others  were  detained  still  longer. 

The  next  spring  some  of  these  "  Separatists " 
tried  again  to  get  away.  This  time  they  engaged  a 
Dutch  captain  to  carry  them  to  Holland.  All  was 


A  HOUSE  IN  LEYDEN. 

As  it  was  in  1620. 


going  on  well,  a  number  of  men  were  already  on 
board  and  hope  was  high  in  their  hearts,  when 
some  armed  men  were  seen  approaching  the  water 
side.  As  soon  as  the  Dutch  captain  saw  them,  he 
hoisted  his  sails  and  went  off,  parting  husbands  and 
wives,  parents  and  children. 

It  was  a  sad  company  on  board  the  ship,  but  it 
was  a  sadder  company  on  the  shore.  Most  of 
those  who  were  left  were  women  and  children,  for 


7° 


History  of  the  United  States. 


the  husbands  and  fathers  had  reached  the  shore  first, 
and  many  of  them  had  gone  on  board  the  ship. 

The  English  magistrates  did  not  know  what  to 
do  with  the  women  and  children.  These  people 
had  no  homes  to  which  they  could  return  ;  they 
could  not  well  be  sent  to  prison  for  wishing  to 
accompany  their  husbands  and  fathers;  and  so 

after  they  had 
been  sent  from 
place  to  place, 
the  m  a  g  i  s- 
strates  were 
glad  to  get  rid 
of  them,  and 
allowed  them 
to  go  to  Hoi- 

land      as      best 

^\\p  y         fTi  1  °~  h  t 

*  <^ 

Here,  some  at 
one  time  and  some  at  another,  they  met  with  their 
friends  and  loved  ones. 

The  emigrants  went  first  to  Amsterdam,  and  then 
to  Leyden.  After  staying  in  Holland  eleven  or 
twelve  years,  they  began  to  talk  of  removing  to 
another  country.  The  dreary  life  they  led  kept 
others  from  joining  them  ;  and  many  were  growing 
old. 

It  was  bad  for  their  children  because  of  the 
temptations  which  surrounded  them,  and  because 


LEYDEN. 

From  a  bird's-eye  view  dated  1670.    The  bell  tower  marks  the  spot 
where  John  Robinson,  the  pilgrim's  pastor,  was  buried. 


The  Pilgrims.  71 

they  could  not  be  educated  as  their  parents  had 
been.  The  people  among  whom  they  lived  spoke 
a  different  language,  and  it  was  not  to  be  expected 
that  boys  and  girls  would  grow  up  English  boys 
and  girls  in  Holland.  Lastly,  these  earnest  exiles 
longed  to  spread  the  Gospel  in  the  far-off  parts  of 
the  world. 

No  country  seemed  to  offer  so  many  advantages 
as  did  that  part  of  America  known  as  Virginia. 
There  they  would  be  under  the  English  rule ;  there 
only  the  English  language  would  be  spoken;  and  in 
an  English  colony  their  children  could  grow  up  to 
manhood  and  womanhood,  knowing  only  English 
customs  and  English  home  life. 

It  was  true  that  their  little  flock  had  been  com 
pelled  to  leave  England,  but  they  had  some  reason 
for  thinking  that  King  James  would  grant  them 
liberty  and  freedom  of  religion  in  that  far-off  land. 
It  was  a  long  time  before  anything  could  be  ar 
ranged,  but  at  length  leave  to  plant  a  colony  in 
America  was  obtained  from  the  London  Company. 
When  the  time  came  to  go,  only  about  one-third 
of  the  members  of  the  church  at  Leyden  started, 
for  sufficient  money  could  not  be  raised  to  take 
them  all. 

The  Pilgrims,  for  such  they  felt  themselves  to  be, 
went  first  to  Delfthaven,  where  their  honored  pas 
tor,  John  Robinson,  took  leave  of  them  with  a  loving 
farewell.  They  sailed  to  Southampton,  and  from 


72  History  of  the   United   States. 

that  place,  August  5,  1620,  two  small  vessels,  the 
Mayflower  and  the  Speedwell,  set  sail  with  the  little 
band  of  emigrants. 

Well  might  these  men  and  women  be  called  Pil 
grims.     They  had  gone  from  England  to  Amster- 


MODEL  OF  THE  "  MAYFLOWER." 
In  the  National  Museum  at  Washington. 

dam,  from  Amsterdam  to  Leyden,  and  now  they 
were  on  their  way  to  wild  and  unknown  lands 
beyond  the  great  ocean,  hoping  to  find  a  place 
where  they  might  worship  God  as  they  thought 
right,  and  where  they  might  bring  up  their  children 
in  His  fear. 

The  two  ships  had  not  gone  far,  when  the  Speed- 


The  Pilgrims. 


73 


well  was  found  to  be  leaking  so  badly  that  both 
vessels  put  back  to  Plymouth.  The  Speedwell  was 
left  behind,  and  many  of  her  passengers  were  crowded 
into  the  Mayflower^  which  set  sail  September  6. 

It  was  a  long  and  stormy  voyage ;  nevertheless 
they  held  on   their  way.     The  Mayflower  got  far 


.PLYMOUTH  BAY  IN  MIDWINTER  280  YEARS  AGO. 

out  of  her  course.  The  Pilgrims  had  expected  to 
land  near  the  Hudson  River,  but  the  first  land  they 
saw  was  Cape  Cod.  They  went  southward,  but  in 
a  few  hours  met  with  so  many  shoals  and  breakers 
that  they  turned  back,  and  took  refuge  near  the  end 
of  Cape  Cod,  in  what  is  now  known  as  Province- 
town  harbor.  Here  they  cast  anchor,  November 
ii  1620. 


74  History  of  the  United  States 

There  were  one  hundred  and  two  passengers  in 
all.  One  had  died  on  the  voyage,  but  a  child  was 
born  before  they  landed,  so  the  number  was  just 
the  same  as  when  they  started. 

While    the    Mayflower  was    in   the   harbor   and 


/i       nn 

2^jW'~*Ub~i 


o 

j& 

£-^  AUTOGRAPHS  OF  THE  "MAYFLOWER"  PILGRIMS. 

before   any  one  went  on  shore,  the  Pilgrims  drew 
up  some  rules  by  which  to  govern  themselves. 

This  paper,  called  the  Mayflower  Compact,  they 
all  signed,  and  then  they  chose  John  Carver  to  be 
their  governor  for  the  first  year.  Here,  then,  in 
the  little  cabin  of  the  Mayflower,  in  the  harbor  of 
Cape  Cod,  was  "  government  of  the  people,  by  the 


The  Pilgrims.  75 

people,  for  the  people,"  begun  in  America.  It  is 
not  likely  that  the  Pilgrims  at  the  time  thought  of 
anything  more  than  making  rules  to  keep  good 
order  among  themselves. 

It  was  clear  that  the  sandy  shore  of  a  narrow 
tongue  of  land  was  not  the  place  on  which  to  make 
a  settlement,  and  several  small  parties  were  sent  out 
to  seek  for  some  good  landing-place.  Meanwhile 
many  went  on  shore,  the  women  to  wash  the  clothes, 
and  the  others  to  walk  about  on  the  solid  ground. 

A  little  exploring  party  set  out  in  a  boat  under 
the  lead  of  Captain  Myles  Standish,  a  stout-hearted 
soldier  who  had  joined  the  Pilgrims  because  he 
liked  their  ways,  though  he  was  not  a  church 
member.  After  sailing  some  distance  along  the 
coast,  they  came  opposite  a  place  which  seemed  to 
be  just  what  they  wanted.  As  it  was  Sunday,  they 
rested  all  that  day  on  an  island.  The  next  day, 
December  2I,1  1620,  they  went  across  the  harbor 
and  landed  on  a  rock,  now  so  well  known  as  Plym 
outh  Rock. 

They  found  cleared  land  which  had  been  used  by 
the  Indians  as  corn-fields,  a  brook  running  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill,  and  many  springs  of  water.  Very 
near  the  shore  were  hills  from  the  tops  of  which 
they  could  see  a  great  distance,  and  on  which  they 
could  plant  cannon  for  their  protection. 

1  December  21  is  the  correct  date ;  through  an  error  December  22  is 
usually  celebrated  as  the  anniversary. 


History  of  the  United  States. 


Captain  John  Smith  had  once  visited  the  place; 
on  his  map  of  New  England  he  called  it  Plymouth, 
and  as  old  Plymouth  was  the  port  in  England  from 
which  they  had  sailed,  the  Pilgrims  kept  the  name. 

Myles  Standish 
and  his  party  went 
back  with  the  good 
news,  and  before  long 
the  Mayflower  had 
cast  her  anchor  in 
the  harbor.  The  Pil 
grims  chose  a  spot 
under  a  high  hill, 
close  to  the  shore, 
for  the  site  of  their 
vilLge,  and  set  to 
vork  at  once  to  build 
small  houses. 

Many   of   the    Pil 
grims    were     sick, 
chiefly  from  the  bad 
food  they  were  forced 
PLYMOUTH  ROCK.  to  eat  on  the  voyage, 

From  a  photograph.     The  monument  covers  the  spot    and  alSO  irOm    tlie  WCt 

and  the  exposure  they 

had  experienced  after  reaching  Cape  Cod.  Not 
withstanding  the  mild  weather,  about  half  of  their 
number  died  during  the  winter,  and  their  bodies 
were  buried  on  the  hill  just  above  the  rock  on 


The  Pilgrims. 


77 


which  they  had  landed.  The  graves  were  levelled, 
so  that  the  Indians  might  not  see  how  many  had 
died. 

Part  of  the  time  there  were  only  six  or  seven  well 
persons,  but  these  spared  no  pains  to  help  those  who 
were  in  need.  William  Brewster,  their  revered  elder, 


PILGRIM  FORT  AND  MEETING-HOUSE. 

and  Myles  Standish,  their  captain,  were  two  of  the 
most  active.  They  attended  to  the  sick,  prepared 
their  food,  washed  their  clothes,  cut  their  firewood, 
and  performed  cheerfully  and  willingly  the  most 
humble  services. 

At  length  spring  came.  Early  in  March  the 
birds  sang  in  the  woods,  the  trees  and  shrubs  began 
to  bud,  and  the  poor  Pilgrims  felt  that  the  worst  of 


History  of  the  United  States. 


their  troubles  were  over.  The  Mayflower  set  sail 
on  her  return  voyage  in  April,  1621;  but  though 
they  had  suffered  so  much,  not  one  of  the  Pilgrims 
wished  to  go  back  on  her. 

The  Pilgrims  had  been 
afraid  of  attacks  by  the  Ind 
ians.  The  smoke  of  Indian 
fires  had  been  seen,  and  once 
the  tools  of  Myles  Standish 
and  another  man  who  had 
been  working  in  the  woods 
were  stolen  in  their  absence ; 
but  no  attack  had  been  made. 
One  day  in  March  an  Indian  walked  boldly  into 
the  village,  greatly  alarming  the  colonists ;  but  they 
were  glad  to  hear  him  say  in  English,  "  Welcome  !  " 
He  said  his  name  was 
Samoset,  and  that  he  had 
learned  a  few  words  from 
English  fishermen 
he  had  met  farther 
He  also  told  them 
a  great  pestilence  had 

among       the       Indians    In  possession  of  the   Connecticut 


PEREGRINE  WHITE'S  INLAID 
CABINET. 

In  Pilgrim  Hall,  Plymouth. 


BREWSTER'S  SEA  CHEST  AND 
STANDISH'S  IRON  POT. 


some 

whom 

north. 

that 

raged 

about  four  years  before,  and 

that  most  of  those  who  had  lived  near  the  place 

where  the  Pilgrims  had  landed  were  dead. 

A    few   days    later    Samoset    came    again    and 
brought  with  him  an  Indian  named  Squanto,  who, 


torical  Society  at 


The   Pilgrims.  79 

he  said,  was  now  the  only  survivor  of  the  tribe 
which  once  had  lived  near  Plymouth.  He  had  been 
carried  away  captive  by  some  sailors,  had  been  in 
London,  and  had  learned  to  speak  English.  He 
came  back  to  America,  joining  a  tribe  of  Indians 
who  lived  thirty  or  forty  miles  west  of  Plymouth. 
Massasoit,  the  chief  of  this  tribe,  Squanto  said,  was 
near  by  with  sixty  men,  and  would  soon  visit  the 
English.  In  about  an  hour  Massasoit  and  his  war 
riors  showed  themselves  on  the  top 
of  a  hill  not  far  off. 

At  first  the  English  were  afraid 
of  the  Indians,  and  the  Indians 
were  afraid  of  the  English ;  but  by 
the  help  of  Squanto  the  parties 
came  together,  and  a  treaty  of 

peace     and     friendship    was      made    PLATTER  AND  KETTLE 

between  Governor  Carver  and  the  OF  MYLES  STANDISH" 
chief,  Massasoit,  which  was  kept  for  more  than  fifty 
years. 

The  Indians  had  their  faces  colored  black,  red, 
and  yellow.  Some  were  ornamented  with  crosses 
or  other  signs.  Some  were  clothed  in  skins,  and 
some  were  without  clothing.  Massasoit's  face  was 
painted  red,  and  was  well  greased.  He  had  a  great 
chain  of  white  bone  beads  around  his  neck.  Tied 
to  this  chain  was  a  bag  of  tobacco  which  he  smoked 
himself  and  offered  to  the  English. 

Squanto  was   much  pleased  with  the   Pilgrims, 


oo  History  of  the    United  States. 

and  after  a  while  came  to  live  with  them.  He 
showed  them  where  fish  and  clams  were  plentiful, 
and  taught  them  to  plant  corn  with  two  or  three 
dead  fish  in  every  hill  to  make  the  ground  rich. 
He  also  acted  as  their  interpreter  and  guide.  He 
liked  to  make  himself  important ;  to  frighten  the 
Indians  he  used  to  tell  them  that  the  English  kept 
the  plague  buried  in  their  storehouse,  and  that 
they  could  send  it  out  against  any  one  without 


THE  SWORD  OF  MYLES  STANDISH. 

In  Pilgrim  Hall,  Plymouth. 


stirring  from  their  houses.  On  the  whole,  he  was 
a  good  friend  to  the  Pilgrims,  and  when,  after  living 
with  them  a  little  over  a  year,  he  died,  there  was 
real  sorrow  in  the  colony.  Before  his  death  he 
asked  Governor  Bradford  to  pray  that  he  might  go 
to  the  Englishman's  heaven. 

After  the  first  year's  crops  had  been  gathered  in, 
Governor  Bradford  and  the  Pilgrims  had  a  public 
Thanksgiving,  the  first  in  America.  Massasoit, 
who  visited  them  at  this  time,  joined  them  with  his 


The  Pilgrims.  81 

men,  who  brought  five  deer,  and  these  with  wild 
turkeys,  which  the  Pilgrims  had  already  shot,  made 
a  grand  feast.  For  three  days  they  feasted  together; 
the  Pilgrims  rejoiced  over  their  harvest,  thanked 
God,  and  took  courage. 

When  the  hunting  season  had  passed,  want  again 
stared  the  Pilgrims  in  the  face.     Thirty-five  settlers 


GOVERNOR  CARVER'S  CHAIR.          THE  CHAIR   OF  JOHN   ELIOT,  THE 

In  Pilgrim  Hall,  Plymouth.  APOSTLE  TO  THE  INDIANS. 

had  come  from  England,  but  had  brought  no  sup 
plies  with  them.  These  newcomers  nearly  doubled 
the  number  of  the  little  band,  which  was  now  far 
too  large  for  the  small  stock  of  provisions  laid  by 
for  the  winter. 

It  was  impossible  to  get  much  from  the  friendly 
Indians.  Each  person,  therefore,  was  given  only 
half  the  usual  amount  of  food.  The  Indians,  finding 
out  their  weak  condition,  began  to  threaten  them. 


82 


History  of  the   United  States. 


Canonicus,  the  chief  of  the  Narragansetts,  sent  a 
messenger  "  with  a  bundle  of  arrows  tied  about 
with  a  snakeskin,  which  their  interpreter  told 
them  was  a  threatening  and  a  challenge." 

The  governor  was  not 
frightened,  but  sent  back 
the  snakeskin  full  of  bul 
lets,  telling  the  Indians 
that  if  they  would  rather 
have  war  than  peace,  they 
might  begin  when  they 
would.  Canonicus,  the 
chief,  was  so  afraid  of  the 
bullets  that  he  sent  them 
back  to  Plymouth,  and 
made  no  attack. 

There  was  abundance 
of  fish  in  the  streams  and 
in  the  sea,  but  for  lack  of 
nets  and  fishing  tackle 

PILGRIM  MONUMENT  AT  PLYMOUTH.    few    were    caught        The 

"  National   Monument    to    the    Forefathers.  r    ji  i 

Erected  by  a  grateful  people  in  remem-  StrOngCSt  men    Ol     the    COl- 
brance   of    their    labors,    sacrifices,    and  i      /•  i 

sufferings  for  the  cause  of  civil  and  reli.  Ony    WCrC    WCak   trOm    hUU- 

ger,  and  were  hardly  able 

to  plant  the  crops.  All  through  the  springtime 
and  early  summer  the  Pilgrims  were  almost  starv 
ing,  and  it  was  not  until  the  harvest  came  that  they 
were  free  from  want. 

Myles  Standish  was  a  brave  man,  ready  to  fight, 


The  Pilgrims.  83 

ready  to  go  on  dangerous  journeys,  and  ready  to 
sail  the  stormy  seas.  He  was,  indeed,  a  most  use 
ful  man  to  the  little  community,  for  he  not  only 
helped  to  protect  the  Pilgrims  at  Plymouth,  but  he 
also  went  on  trading  expeditions  to  various  parts 
of  the  coast  for  furs 
and  even  crossed  the 
ocean  to  buy  supplies 
for  the  colony,  and  to 

look   after   its    inter- 

i 

ests. 

He   lived    to   be    an  THE  MYLES  STANDISH  HOUSE  AT 

DUXBURY. 
Old    man    and    tO    have          Built  in  1666  by  Alexander,  Myles  Standish's 

the  satisfaction  of  see 
ing  the  colony  grow  and  flourish.  For  many  years 
his  home  was  at  Duxbury,  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  bay  from  Plymouth ;  a  hill  which  he  owned  is 
still  called  "The  Captain's  Hill,"  and  on  it  is  a  tall 
monument  in  honor  of  the  brave  man. 


OUTLINE. 

In  order  to  gain  liberty  of  worship,  a  band  of  "  Sepa 
ratists  "  left  England  and  went  to  Holland.  After  about 
twelve  years  they  concluded  to  go  to  America.  They 
sailed  in  the  Mayflower  and  reached  Cape  Cod  December, 
1620.  They  settled  at  Plymouth  They  suffered  greatly 
during  the  first  winter,  and  more  than  half  their  number 
died.  Their  captain  was  Myles  Standish,  a  brave  man. 
They  had  little  trouble  from  the  Indians. 


84 


History  of  the  United  States. 


Who  were  the  Puritans  ?  the  Separatists  ? 

Tell  the  story  of  the  Separatists  in  England ;  how  they  went  to 
Holland. 

Why  did  they  wish  to  go  to  America? 

Tell  the  story  of  the  voyage  to  America  in  the  Mayflower. 

Why  were  they  called  Pilgrims  ? 

Where  did  they  land  ? 

Tell  the  story  of  their  first  winter  in  America. 

Describe  Myles  Standish,  and  tell  what  he  did. 

Tell  the  story  of  Squanto ;  of  the  first  "  Thanksgiving." 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  PILGRIMS  AND  PURITANS. 


THE   PURITANS. 

IN  1630,  just  about  ten  years  after  the  Pilgrims 
had  come  to  Plymouth,  five  or  six  ships  sailed  into 
the  harbor  of  Naumkeag,  afterward  known  as 
Salem.  They  brought  two  hundred  Puritan  colo 
nists.  Everything  was  as  different  as  possible  from 
the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims  at  Plymouth. 

It  was  in  early  summer.  "  Every  hill  and  dale 
and  every  island  was  full  of  gay  woods  and  high 
trees,"  and  flowers  were  blossoming  in  abundance. 
The  very  land  seemed  to  welcome  them.  It  was 
the  strongest  company  of  emigrants  that  had  yet 
come  to  the  New  World.  In  the  next  year  eight 
hundred  more  arrived. 

These  men  and  women  crossed  the  sea  to  make 
for  themselves  homes ;  they  were  willing  to  work, 
and  expected  to  work  hard.  Their  purpose  in  com 
ing  was  to  find  a  place  where  they  could  worship 
God  in  the  way  which  they  thought  right ;  where 
they  could  manage  their  affairs  to  suit  themselves ; 
where  they  could  have  their  own  laws  ;  where  in  new 
homes  it  would  be  possible  for  every  one  to  better 
his  condition. 

More  Puritans  kept  coming  over  to  Salem,  and 
the  surrounding  country  began  to  be  settled.  Some 

85 


86 


History  of  the  United  States. 


of  the  immigrants  were  not  satisfied  with  Salem, 
and  looked  about  for  a  more  attractive  place.  This 
they  found  in  Massachusetts  Bay,  on  a  peninsula 
called  by  the  Indians  Shawmut,  and  by  the  Eng 
lishmen  Tri-mountain,  from  the  three  hills  upon  it. 
There  was  plenty  of  fresh  water,  and  pasturage  for 
the  cattle  ;  and,  as  it  was  connected  with  the  main 
land  by  a  narrow  neck,  it  could  easily  be  defended 
in  case  of  danger. 

The  settlers  always  retained  a  warm  affection  for 
their  old  homes  in  England,  and  gave  the  names  of 

many  English  towns  to 
the  new  villages  in  Amer 
ica.  So  this  new  settle 
ment  was  soon  named 
Boston,  after  old  Boston 
in  England,  from  which 
place  or  its  neighborhood 
many  of  the  colonists  had 
come. 

The  Puritan  colony 
was  known  as  that  of 
Massachusetts  Bay.  Its 
first  resident  governor 
was  John  Winthrop,  a 
highly  educated,  wealthy  gentleman,  who  emigrated 
with  his  family  from*  England  to  seek  a  home  in  the 
New  World. 

The  Puritans  were  a  band  of  hard-working,  God- 


JOHN  WINTHROP. 

After  the  original  in  the  Massachusetts 
Senate  Chamber. 


The  Puritans.  87 

fearing  folk.  All  worked ;  those  who  were  rich  be 
cause  they  thought  it  was  right,  and  those  who  were 
poor  because  they  did  not  wish  to  be  dependent,  and 
because  work  was  necessary  for  their  support.  They 
began  at  once  to  lay  out  farms,  and  to  plant  the  seed 
which  they  had  brought  with  them  from  England. 

Governor  Winthrop  set  a  noble  example.      Re 
ligion   was   interwoven    with    his   whole    life.     He 


PINE  TREE  SHILLING. 

planted  and  traded,  sowed  and  built,  governed  and 
fought,  loved  wife  and  children  and  neighbors  in 
the  fear  of  the  Lord.  He  was  sometimes  narrow- 
minded,  and  even  bigoted,  but  this  was  due  rather 
to  the  nature  of  the  times  than  to  his  own  character, 
which  was  better  and  broader  than  that  of  most  pub 
lic  men  of  his  day. 

He  built  and  launched  the  first  sea-going  vessel 
in  New  England.  She  was  named  the  Blessing  of 
the  Bay,  and  was  the  forerunner  of  the  great  fleet  of 
vessels  which  has  done  so  much  to  make  New  Eng 
land  rich  and  prosperous. 

It  seems  very  strange  to  us  that  the  Puritans  who 


88  History  of  the  United  States. 

had  left  England  to  find  a  place  where  they  might 
have  freedom  for  themselves  were  not  willing  to 
give  freedom  to  others.  They  wished  to  be  let 
alone  by  those  who  did  not  think  as  they  did,  but 
they  had  no  intention  of  letting  others  alone  on  the 
same  conditions.  They  were  determined  to  have 
the  whole  colony,  as  far  as  was  possible,  think  in  the 
same  way  in  religious  and  church  matters. 

Roger  Williams,  a  young  Englishman,  arrived  in 
Massachusetts  during  the  winter  of  1631.  After  a 
while  he  was  chosen  to  be  minister  of  the  church  at 
Salem.  Roger  Williams  believed  in  religious  liberty 
for  every  one.  The  Puritans  believed  in  religious 
liberty  for  themselves.  Roger  Williams  believed 
that  laws  should  relate  to  a  man's  actions,  and  that 
he  should  be  free  to  think  as  he  liked.  The  Puri 
tans  believed  that  laws  should  be  framed  to  punish 
a  man  for  thinking,  or  saying,  as  well  as  for  doing 
anything  of  which  the  colony  disapproved. 

Williams  refused  to  agree  with  the  Massachusetts 
Puritans  that  religion  was  the  chief  business  of  the 

o 

civil  magistrate.  He  refused  to  uphold  a  law  com 
pelling  every  one  to  go  to  church.  Soon  he  came 
to  be  regarded  as  a  very  dangerous  person,  and  was 
told  that  it  would  be  better  for  him  to  leave  Salem. 
Still  he  kept  on  boldly  denouncing  the  colony. 

When  he  said  that  the  king  of  England  had  no 
right  to  give  the  land  of  the  Indians  to  the  colo 
nists,  the  leading  men  of  Boston  and  of  the  neigh- 


The  Puritans.  89 

boring  towns  thought  it  was  high  time  to  arrest  him 
and  send  him  out  of  the  country,  as  had  been  done 
with  other  troublesome  persons. 

Hearing  of  this,  Williams  made  his  escape  into 
the  forest.  The  snow  was  on  the  ground,  and  it 
was  bitterly  cold,  but  he  pushed  on  until  he  reached 
the  home  of  Massasoit,  the  friend  of  the  Pilgrims. 
This  chief  received  him  very  kindly  and  took  care 
of  him  for  the  rest  of  the  winter. 

In  the  spring,  Williams  began  a  settlement  at 
Seekonk,  just  within  the  territory  of  the  Plymouth 
Colony.  Later,  with  five  other  men,  he  went  farther 
down  the  river;  as  they  rowed  along,  some  Indians 
called  out,  "  What  cheer,  ne-top  ?  "  "  How  are  you, 
friend  ? "  Encouraged  by  this  welcome  the  little 
company  turned  the  boat  toward  the  shore  and 
landed  on  what  is  known  as  "  Slate  Rock."  But 
they  embarked  again,  and  rowed  on  until  they 
found  an  attractive  place  where  there  was  a  good 
-spring  of  water. 

Williams  determined  to  begin  a  settlement  here. 
He  bought  land  of  the  friendly  Indians,  and  dis 
tributed  it  among  the  settlers.  He  named  the  new 
settlement  "  Providence,"  on  account,  as  he  said,  of 
"  God's  providence  to  him  in  his  distresses." 

Here,  for  the  first  time  in  the  world's  history,  was 
there  perfect  liberty  of  thought.  Roman  Catholics 
and  Protestants,  infidels  and  atheists,  were  all  pro 
tected,  and  no  man  suffered  for  his  opinions. 


History  of  the  United  States. 


Settlers  soon  came  and  established  themselves  on 
the  island  of  Rhode  Island,  and  the  whole  colony 
was  later  known  as  Rhode  Island 
and  Providence  Plantations.  The 
Puritans  looked  upon  it  as  a  danger 
ous  place,  where  heretics  and  lawless 
persons  took  refuge ;  but  notwith 
standing  this  the  colony  flourished. 

Roger  Will 
iams,  though 
he  had  been 
banished  from 
Massachusetts, 

did    not    cher-  CRADLE  AND  CHAIR  OK  THE  TIME  OF  THE 

...     r  PURITANS. 

ish  ill   feeling 

toward  those  who  had  caused  him  to  leave  his  home 
and  seek  another  in  the  wilderness.    Once  he  learned 

that  the  Pequods,  an 
Indian  tribe  in  what 
is  now  Connecticut, 
were  doing  their  best 
to  persuade  the  Nai- 
ragansett  Indians  to 
join  them  in  an  at 
tack  upon  the  white 
settlers  in  Massachu 
setts.  At  the  risk  of  his  life,  he  went  to  the  council 
of  the  Narragansetts,  prevailed  upon  them  to  refuse 
to  join  the  Pequods,  and  thus  saved  Massachusetts 
from  the  horrors  of  an  Indian  attack. 


AN  OLD  HOUSE  IN  SALEM,  MASS. 


The  Puritans.  91 

Roger  Williams  was  a  robust  and  vigorous  man ; 
when  he  was  seventy-three  years  old,  he  rowed  him 
self  in  an  open  boat  over  thirty  miles  on  Narragan- 
sett  Bay  to  hold  a  discussion  with  some  Quakers  at 
Newport.  He  was  a  man  of  very  decided  opinions 
and  sometimes  used  strong  language,  but  he  never 
persecuted  any  one.  He  was  perhaps  the  first  man 
to  proclaim  entire  civil  and  religious  liberty. 


OUTLINE. 

In  1630  two  hundred  Puritan  colonists  landed  at  Salem, 
Massachusetts.  They  came  to  find  homes  and  a  place 
where  they  could  worship  God  as  they  wished.  They  were 
hard-working,  God-fearing  people.  The  Puritans  wished 
everybody  to  think  and  act  alike  in  religious  matters. 
Roger  Williams  believed  that  church  and  state  should  not 
be  joined  together.  He  was  threatened  with  arrest.  He 
fled  into  the  wilderness,  and  founded  Providence,  where  he 
gave  perfect  liberty  to  thought  and  action. 

Where  did  the  Puritans  land? 
How  many  came  the  first  year? 
Why  did  they  come  ? 
Describe  the  Puritans. 
Describe  John  Winthrop. 
Tell  the  story  of  Roger  Williams. 


LORD  BALTIMORE  AND  MARYLAND. 

THE  Pilgrims  and  the  Puritans  were  not  the  only 
persons  who  wished  to  find  a  land  where  they  could 
worship  God  as  they  pleased.  The  Roman  Catho 
lics  were  not  allowed  to  have  churches  in  England, 
and  were  persecuted  in  various  ways. 

Among  the  wealthy  English  Roman  Catholics 
was  Sir  George  Calvert,  better  known  as  Lord 
Baltimore,  the  latter  name  coming  from  a  small 
town  in  southern  Ireland.  He  was  brought  up  a  Pro 
testant,  but  became  a  Roman  Catholic.  He  wished 
to  found  a  colony  where  his  Catholic  brethren  would 
be  secure  from  interference. 

In  1621,  Lord  Baltimore,  ignorant  of  the  length 
and  coldness  of  the  winters,  founded  a  colony  in 
Newfoundland.  Later  he  himself  went  out  intend 
ing  to  remain,  but  the  severity  of  the  climate  con 
vinced  him  that  he  must  seek  some  warmer  country 
if  his  plans  were  to  succeed.  He  went  to  Virginia 
to  see  what  could  be  done  there ;  but,  as  he  was  a 
Catholic,  the  Virginians  did  not  welcome  him.  He 
next  applied  to  the  king,  Charles  I.,  who  willingly 
granted  him  lands  on  Chesapeake  Bay  north  of  the 
river  Potomac.  The  king  named  the  colony  Mary 
land  after  his  queen,  Henrietta  Maria. 

92 


Lord   Baltimore  and  Maryland.  93 


Sir  George  Calvert  died  before  his  charter  was 
ready,  and  the  king  gave  it  to  Sir  George's  son, 
Cecilius  or  Cecil,  who  became  the  second  Lord 
Baltimore.  No  one  in  the  colonies  had  been  given 
such  extensive  powers.  He  was  almost  a  monarch, 
for  he  was  required  only  to  give  the  king  two 
Indian  arrows  every  year,  and  one-fifth  of  any  gold 
and  silver  that  might  be 
found,  and  to  make  no 
laws  contrary  to  the  laws 
of  England. 

The  first  band  of  colo 
nists,  about  two  hundred 
in  number,  under  the  lead 
ership  of  Leonard  Cal 
vert,  a  younger  brother  of 
Lord  Baltimore,  sailed 
from  England  in  two  ves 
sels  named  the  Ark  and 
the  Dove.  The  company 
reached  the  mouth  of  the 


CECILIUS  CALVERT,  LORD 
BALTIMORE. 


After 


Potomac  River  in  March, 

1634,  and  landed  on  a  small  island.  There  they 
cut  down  a  tree,  and  made  a  cross  which  they  set 
up;  then  they  kneeled  before  it,  and  gave  thanks 
for  having  been  brought  safely  to  their  new  home. 

The  colonists  soon  went  over  to  the  mainland. 
They  treated  the  Indians  justly,  buying  land  of 
them  and  paying  for  it  with  axes,  knives,  and  other 


94  History  of  the  United  States. 

articles  pleasing  to  the  natives.  The  Indians  gave 
up  part  of  their  village  to  the  strangers  and  fur 
nished  them  with  corn  to  plant.  The  colonists  built 
a  little  town  which  they  called  St.  Mary's,  because 
they  had  landed  on  the  day  named  in  honor  of  the 
Virgin  Mary. 

The  laws  made  in  Maryland  were  liberal,  and  for 
years  that  colony  was  one  of  the  freest  places  in  the 
world.  Puritans  and  Episcopalians,  Catholics  and 
Quakers,  came  to  Maryland  to  find  peaceful  homes. 
But  even  there  infidels  and  Unitarians  were  alike 
unwelcome,  and  could  have  no  privileges. 

OUTLINE. 

Lord  Baltimore  wished  to  found  a  colony  for  Roman 
Catholics.  He  tried  Newfoundland ;  the  climate  was  too 
cold.  King  Charles  granted  him  lands  on  Chesapeake 
Bay.  He  named  the  colony  Maryland.  He  died,  but  his 
son  Cecil  carried  out  his  plans.  His  laws  were  liberal,  and, 
except  Rhode  Island,  Maryland  was  the  freest  of  the  early 
colonies. 

Tell  how  Lord  Baltimore  came  to  found  a  colony. 

After  whom  was  the  colony  named  ? 

How  much  power  did  Lord  Baltimore  have  ? 

Tell  the  story  of  the  first  band  of  colonists. 

Was  there  perfect  freedom  for  religion  in  Maryland  ? 


KING    PHILIP'S    WAR. 


MASSASOIT,  the  friend  of  the  Pilgrims  and  of 
Roger  Williams,  had  two  sons,  —  Wamsutta,  who 
was  called  by  the  colonists 
Alexander,  and  Metacomet, 
who  was  called  Philip  or  King 
Philip.  When  Massasoit  died, 
Wamsutta  became  chief  of  the 
tribe.  The  governor  of  Plym 
outh  sent  some  soldiers  to 
bring  Wamsutta  to  Plymouth 
because  it  was  reported  that  he 
was  thinking  of  making  an  at 
tack  upon  the  English.  Wam 
sutta  was  unfortunately  taken 
sick  while  at  Plymouth.  The 
Indians  thought  that  he  had 
been  poisoned  by  the  English,  and  as  he  died  shortly 
after  his  return,  they  became  convinced  that  foul 
work  had  been  done. 

From  various  causes  the  neighboring  Indians 
grew  more  and  more  hostile.  They  claimed  with 
some  justice  that  the  English  made  them  drunk 
and  cheated  them  of  land.  They  tried  to  arouse 
other  tribes  to  join  them  in  attacking  the  English. 

95 


KING  PHILIP. 

Belt  and  ornaments  correctly 
shown. 


96 


History  of  the  United  States. 


At  one  time  they  found  some  Indians  who  had 
warned  their  own  English  friends  of  the  danger, 
and  they  seized  the  traitors,  as  they  called  them,  and 

put  them  to  death. 

It  was  not  long  before  there 
was  a  war  from  which  only  a 
few  tribes  held  aloof.  The 
Indians  fought  after  their  own 
fashion.  An  Indian  would 
creep  from  tree  to  tree  until 
he  came  within  gunshot  of  a 
white  man,  and  then  he  would 
shoot  at  him.  When  his  vic 
tim  fell,  the  Indian  would  rush 
up  to  him,  scalp  him,  and  sud 
denly  disappear. 

Often  the  Indians  would 
attack  the  log-cabins  of  the 
settlers  at  night,  set  them  on 
fire,  and  shoot  or  tomahawk 
the  inmates  as  they  ran  from 
the  burning  houses.  No  one 
who  lived  on  the  outskirts  of 
the  settlements  felt  safe,  night 
or  day. 

The  Indians  frequently  chose  Sunday  for  their 
attacks.  Once  the  settlers  of  Hadley,  Massachu 
setts,  who  were  in  their  meeting-house,  were  startled 
by  an  alarm  of  Indians.  The  men  rushed  out  of 


INDIAN  WEAPONS. 


After  Catlin. 


King  Philip's  •  War. 


97 


the  house,  when  a  tall  man  with  long  gray  hair  and 
beard  made  his  appearance,  and  shouting  to  the 
colonists,  led  them  on  against  the  foe. 

The  Indians  were  repulsed,  and  the  old  man  van 
ished  as  suddenly  as  he  had  come.  Many  thought 
he  was  sent  from  heaven  to  deliver  them.  He  was 
General  Goffe,  one  of  Oliver  Cromwell's  soldiers, 
who  had  voted  to  condemn  King  Charles  I.  of  Eng 
land  to  death, 
and  upon  whose 
head  a  price 
was  fixed.  He 
had  taken  ref 
uge  in  Amer 
ica  with  some 
friends,  and  was 

lvm&  THE  JUNKINS'  GARRISON  HOUSE. 

ent.  ^^      Built  against  Indian  attacks  in  1640-45.     Formerly  on  a  hilltop 

CO-IH7  fV»/^    Tr»rliar»c          ^n   Scotland   Parish,  York,  Maine.      It  was  burnt   in  June, 

saw  me  i  naian.      i88(?   After  a  painting  by  Susan  Minot  Lane> 

coming,      gave 

the  alarm,  and  led  the  defence  with  his  old  fire  and 

courage. 

There  were  about  a  hundred  towns  in  New  Eng 
land  at  this  time.  Of  these,  forty  were  attacked  by 
the  Indians,  and  twelve  were  completely  destroyed. 
It  was  not  until  the  colonists  adopted  the  Indian 
mode  of  fighting  that  they  were  successful. 

We  can  hardly  believe  the  stones  of  the  cruelties 
practised  in  this  war,  both  by  the  Indians  and  by  the 
8 


98  History  of  the  United  States. 

English.  The  colonists  at  one  time  attacked  a  fort 
on  Narragansett  Bay.  It  was  a  log  fort  in  the 
midst  of  an  almost  impassable  cedar  swamp,  and 
the  Indians  had  brought  there  a  large  number  of 
old  men,  women,  and  children.  The  English  sur 
prised  the  fort,  but  the  Indians  made  a  brave  de 
fence.  More  than  two  hundred  of  the  whites  were 
killed,  and  about  five  times  as  many  of  the  natives. 
The  colonists  were  so  inflamed  against  the  Indians 
that  they  set  fire  to  the  wigwams,  and  rpany  old 
men,  women,  and  children  were  burned  to  death. 
Canonchet,  the  chief,  was  taken.  He  was  offered  his 
life  if  he  would  make  peace,  but  he  refused,  saying 
when  he  was  about  to  be  put  to  death,  "  I  like  it 
well ;  I  wish  to  die  before  my  heart  is  soft  or  I  say 
anything  unworthy  of  myself." 

When  the  Indians  attacked  a  settler's  house  or  a 
village,  they  would  often  carry  off  the  women  and 
children  captives,  and  many  stones  of  hairbreadth 
escapes  and  of  dreadful  cruelties  were  long  told  to 
the  New  England  boys  and  girls. 

Philip  found  that,  with  all  his  efforts,  the  Indians 
were  steadily  losing  ground,  and  that  his  cause  was 
hopeless.  He  wandered  from  place  to  place,  and 
hid  in  swamps  and  forests.  His  wife  and  his  young 
son  were  captured  and  sold  as  slayes  to  the  Bermuda 
Islands;  for  death  or  slavery  was  the  punishment 
for  Indians  who  had  fought  or  had  even  taken 
sides  against  the  English. 


King  Philip's  War. 


99 


Philip  wandered  back  to  the  neighborhood  of  his 
old  home  near  Mt.  Hope  on  Narragansett  Bay.  He 
was  traced  to  a  swamp,  and  was  shot  by  an  Indian 
whose  brother  he  had  killed. 

The  hands  and  head  of  the  great  Indian  warrior 
were  cut  off;  his  head  was  sent  to  Plymouth,  and 
placed  on  a  high  pole  where  it  remained  exposed  to 
view  for  about  twenty  years. 
It  seems  very  strange  to  us 
that  the  Pilgrims  and  Puri 
tans  should  have  been  so 
harsh,  but  even  in  England 
at  that  time  the  heads  of 
traitors  and  rebels  were  ex 
posed  on  Temple  Bar,  a 
gate  in  London. 

The  power  of  the  Ind 
ians  was  now  broken,  for 
their  best  warriors  had 
been  either  killed  or  taken 
prisoners,  and  King  Philip's 
War  was  the  last  great  struggle  with  the  natives  in 
New  England. 

Many  of  the  colonists  desired  to  civilize  the  red 
men,  and  to  convert  them  to  the  Christian  religion. 
One  of  the  objects  of  the  founding  of  Harvard  Col 
lege  was  to  educate  Indian  youth  for  the  ministry. 

John  Eliot,  a  minister  at  Roxbury,  near  Boston, 
was  the  most  unwearied  worker  in  this  good  cause. 


JOHN  ELIOT. 

From  a  portrait  in  the  family  of  the  late 
William  Whiting. 


UP-B1BLUM    GOD 

NUKKONE    TESTAMENT 
WUSKU  TESTAMENT. 


ioo          History   of  the  United  States. 

He  learned  the  language  of  some  of  the  tribes  in 
order  to  teach  them  in  their  own  tongue.  He  was 
constant  in  visiting  the  Indian  villages  and  preach 
ing  to  the  natives.  He  once  said, "  I  have  not  been 
dry,  night  or  day,  from  the  third  day  of  the  week  to 
the  sixth;  but  so  travel,  at  night 
pull  off  my  boots,  wring  my  stock 
ings,  and  so  continue." 

Eliot  was  very  successful  in  his 
work,  and  is  said  to  have  persuaded 
more  than  three  thousand  Indians 
to  become  Christians.  But  this  was 
not  all.  He  translated  the  Bible  into 
the  Indian  language  and  had  it 
printed.  Indian  boys  learned  to 
read  in  it,  and  were  taught  its 
lessons. 

These  Indians  are  gone,  their  language  has  been 
forgotten,  and  probably  not  more  than  one  or  two 
persons  are  now  able  to  read  Eliot's  Indian  Bible. 
The  book  itself  is  rarely  met  with,  but  copies  may 
be  seen  in  some  of  the  great  public  libraries. 


JOHN    ELIOT 


TITLE    PAGE    OF 
ELIOT'S  BIBLE. 

Reduced  fac-simile. 


OUTLINE. 

The  Indians  in  New  England,  from  various  causes,  be 
came  hostile  to  the  English.  A  terrible  war  followed ; 
there  were  many  atrocities.  Philip,  a  son  of  Massasoit, 
was  the  leader.  He  united  the  tribes  against  the  English. 


King  Philip's  War.  101 

He  was  at  last  shot,  and  the  war  came  to  an  end.  John 
Eliot  labored  to  convert  the  Indians  to  Christianity,  and 
translated  the  Bible  into  their  language. 

Tell  who  Alexander  and  Philip  were. 
Describe  the  Indian  methods  of  warfare. 
Tell  the  story  of  the  attack  on  Hadley. 
Tell  the  story  of  King  Philip. 
What  did  John  Eliot  do  for  the  Indians  ? 


PETER   STUYVESANT   AND    NEW   NETHER- 
LAND. 

THE  first  vessels  sent  to  the  river  that  Henry 
Hudson  had  discovered  brought  back  such  good 
reports  of  the  country  that  the  Dutch  sent  out  more 
ships,  for  they  were  very  quick  to  seize  any  chance 
for  trade.  Three  vessels  were  sent  in  1613.  One 
of  them,  having  taken  fire  at  Manhattan  Island,  was 
burnt.  Captain  Adrien  Block,  her  commander,  at 
once  set  his  men  to  work  to  put  up  some  log  huts 
in  which  to  spend  the  winter.  These  were  the 
first  houses  built  by  Europeans  where  New  York 
City  now  stands. 

While  at  Manhattan  Island,  Captain  Block  built 
a  small  vessel,  sailed  through  East  River  into 
Long  Island  Sound,  and  discovered  the  island  now 
called  by  his  name.  Another  captain  sailed  up  the 
Hudson  River  and  established  Fort  Orange,  a  trad 
ing  post  near  the  place  where  Albany  is  now. 

Ten  years  later,  the  Dutch  West  India  Company 
sent  out  a  number  of  families  to  settle  at  Manhat 
tan,  at  Fort  Orange,  on  Long  Island,  and  even  as 
far  as  the  Delaware  River.  The  next  year,  1624, 
Peter  Minuit,  the  director-general  of  the  colony, 
bought  Manhattan  Island  from  the  Indians  for 


102 


Peter  Stuyvesant  and  New  Netherland.     103 


about  twenty-four  dollars,  and  built  Fort  Amster^ 
dam ;  this  was  the  beginning  of  New  Amsterdam, 
afterward  New  York  City. 

Soon  after  this,  some  of  the  directors  of  the  com 
pany  bought  large  tracts  of  land  along  the  Hudson 
River,  and  sent  out  colonists  as  tenants.  These 
large  landowners,  who  called  themselves  patroons, 
became  very  wealthy  and  powerful.  They  lived  on 
their  great  es 
tates  very  much 
as  the  old  lords 
used  to  do  in 
feudal  times  in 
the  Middle 
Ages.  In  1633, 


the  first  school- 


DUTCH  PLEASURE  WAGON  OF  THE  OLDEN  TIME. 


master  came  to 
the  colony,  and  the  school  of  which  he  was  the 
first  teacher  is  still  flourishing,  the  oldest  school 
in  the  United  States.1 

The  colony  was  managed,  however,  not  for  the 
good  ot  the  settlers,  but  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Dutch  Company.  Among  other  things,  the  farm 
ers  were  not  allowed  to  buy  any  furs  from  the 
Indians,  and  the  company  tried  to  keep  even  the 
patroons  out  of  this  profitable  trade,  but  with  small 
success. 

For  a  few  years  the  Dutch  treated  the  Indians 

xThe  Collegiate  School  of  the  Dutch  Church,  New  York  City. 


104          History  of  the  United  States. 

well.  It  is  true  that  some  of  the  settlers  sold  them 
guns  and  rum,  and  that  the  fur-traders  cheated 
them ;  but,  on  the  whole,  the  Indians  were  not 
dissatisfied.  Unfortunately,  in.  163 7,  the  company 
sent  out  William  Kieft,  as  director.  He  had  been 
a  merchant,  and  knew  little  or  nothing  about  ruling 


EARLY  DUTCH  COSTUMES. 


men.  He  could  not  be  depended  upon,  for  he  did 
not  keep  his  word.  He  was  obstinate,  cruel,  and 
greedy  of  gain ;  he  treated  the  Indians  very  badly, 
and  in  this  way  provoked  them  to  make  savage 
attacks  upon  the  settlers. 

For  two  years  there  was  a  war  in  which  the  colo 
nists  suffered  greatly.  The  Indians  would  fire  on 
the  boats  passing  by  on  the  river ;  they  would  attack 


Peter  Stuyvesant  and  New  Netherland.     105 


men  and  women  travelling  on  the  roads ;  they  would 
shoot  the  farmers  as  they  worked  in  the  fields.  In 
deed,  the  farmers  hardly  dared  to  do  the  necessary 
work  for  fear  of  being  shot.  Trade  and  commerce 
came  almost  to  a  standstill,  and  the  colony  began  to 
suffer  from  hunger.  Kieft  now  saw  his  mistake,  and 
was  only  too  glad  to  make  peace  with  the  Indians. 

After  ten  years  of  misrule,  Kieft  was  removed. 
The  ship  in  which  he  was 
returning  to  Holland  was 
wrecked  in  the  English 
Channel  he  was  drowned, 
and  the  fortune  he  was  tak 
ing  back  went  down  with 
him. 

The  Dutch  Company 
now  chose  Peter  Stuyve 
sant  to  succeed  Kieft  as 
director -general  of  New 
Netherland.  Stuyvesant 
had  been  governor  of  Cura- 
9oa,  in  the  West  Indies, 
and  had  lost  one  of  his 
legs  from  a  wound  in  .battle.  He  now  stumped 
around  on  a  wooden  leg,  bound  with  silver  bands. 
He  was  hot-headed  and  easily  made  angry;  he 
was  headstrong  and  used  very  hard  words,  but 
had  not  a  bad  heart.  He  was  brave,  full  of  cour 
age,  honest,  and  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  com- 


PETER  STUYVESANT. 

After  the  portrait  from  life  in  the  pos 
session  of  the  New  York  Historical 
Society. 


106          History  of  the  United  States. 

pany  which  employed  him.  He  had  a  high  idea  of 
the  position  of  a  governor,  and  believed  that  he 
ought  to  have  all  the  power  in  his  own  hands. 
Once,  when  some  one  threatened  to  appeal  to  the 
company,  he  said,  "  If  he  does,  I  will  make  him  a 
foot  shorter,  and  send  the  pieces  to  Holland."  But 
he  really  had  the  good  of  the  colony  at  heart,  and, 
when  the  colonists  came  to  know  him,  there  was 
not  much  trouble. 

The  Swedes  wished  to  have  a  share  in  America, 
and  had  sent  out  a  colony  (1638)  under  Peter 
Minuit,  the  same  man  who  had  bought  Manhat 
tan  Island  for  the  Dutch.  Minuit  sailed  up  the 
Delaware  River,  bought  land  from  the  Indians, 
and,  near  the  place  where  Wilmington,  Delaware, 
now  stands,  he  built  a  fort,  naming  it  Christina,  after 
the  queen  of  Sweden. 

The  Dutch  objected  strongly  to  this,  but  Stuyve- 
sant  was  too  weak  to  prevent  it.  A  few  years 
later,  however,  Stuyvesant  built  a  fort  on  the  Dela 
ware,  very  near  the  Swedish  settlement.  This  fort 
the  Swedes  attacked  and  took.  Stuyvesant,  the 
people  of  New  Amsterdam,  and  the  Dutch  Com 
pany,  were  very  angry  when  this  news  reached 
them.  As  soon  as  possible  Stuyvesant  made  an 
attack  upon  the  Swedes,  and  was  successful  in  tak 
ing  all  their  forts.  This  brought  Swedish  rule  to 
an  end  in  America. 

The   Swedes  were  not  the  only  enemies  of  the 


Peter  Stuyvesant  and  New   Netherland.     107 

Dutch.  The  English  settlers  were  increasing  north 
and  south  of  New  Netherland,  and  paid  little  atten 
tion  to  the  Dutch  boundaries.  Stuyvesant  made 
several  journeys  to  New  England  to  defend  his 
rights,  and  secured  as  good  terms  as  he  could.  But 
the  English  settlers  kept  coming  upon  Dutch  terri 
tory,  and  claimed  nearly  the  whole  of  what  is  to-day 
the  state  of  New  York.  Many  of  them  had  come 
to  Long  Island,  and  they  disliked  the  Dutch  rule. 
Stuyvesant  saw  the  danger  to  the  colony,  but  could 
do  nothing,  as  the  English  outnumbered  his  men 
so  greatly. 

One  day  in  August,  1664,  some  English  ships 
came  sailing  into  the  bay.  Troops  were  landed, 
who  took  possession  of  Staten  Island.  Director 
Stuyvesant  put  all  able-bodied  men  to  work  to 
repair  the  battery  and  to  throw  up  fortifications ; 
but  the  stock  of  powder  was  small,  and  the  people 
were  not  hearty  in  their  support,  for  they  preferred 
to  go  under  English  rule  rather  than  have  the  town 
fired  on  and  their  property  destroyed.  In  fact,  not 
a  few  were  quite  ready  to  change  rulers. 

Nicolls,  the  English  commander,  sent  a  letter 
saying  that,  if  the  Dutch  gave  up,  no  one  should 
be  hurt  and  that  everything  could  go  on  as  before, 
except  that  the  English  flag  must  fly  over  the  town 
and  the  English  rule  be  acknowledged.  The  coun 
cil  insisted  that  this  letter  should  be  read  before  the 
people,  but  Stuyvesant  refused,  for  he  was  sure  that 


io8  History  of  the  United  States. 

the  people  would  wish  to  accept  these  terms.  A 
sharp  dispute  followed,  and  Stuyvesant,  in  a  rage, 
tore  up  the  letter  and  threw  the  pieces  on  the  floor. 
The  council  broke  up,  but  the  members  told  the 
people  what  terms  the  English  had  offered.  Finally 
Stuyvesant  was  forced  to  yield.  The  English  landed, 


THE  STADTHUYS,  NEW  YORK,  1679. 

After  Brevoort's  drawing.     ("  Stadthuys;'  is  Dutch  for  "  statehouse.") 

hoisted  their  flag,  and  New  Netherland  became  New 

York. 

The  Dutch  Company  sent  for  Stuyvesant  to 
come  to  Holland  and  explain  why  he  had  given  up 
their  colony.  He  was  able  to  do  this  satisfactorily, 
for  every  one  who  had  been  on  the  spot  knew  that 
he  had  held  out  until  resistance  was  useless.  When 


Peter  Stuyvesant  and  New  Netherland.      109 

peace  was  made  between  England  and  Holland, 
the  English  kept  New  York. 

Nine  years  later  (1673)  there  was  another  war 
between  England  and  Holland.  One  day  some 
Dutch  ships  sailed  into  the  harbor,  just  as  the 
English  ships  had  done,  and  found  New  York  just 
as  unprepared  as  before.  The  fort  and  town  sur 
rendered,  and  New  York  became  Dutch  again. 
But  the  very  next  year  peace  was  made,  and  New 
York  was  given  back  to  the  English. 

Peter  Stuyvesant,  after  his  return  from  Holland, 
lived  in  peace  and  plenty  at  his  "  bowery,"  as  the 
Dutch  called  a  farm;  he  died  in  1682,  when  he 
was  about  eighty  years  old.  He  was  fond  of  fruit 
and  flowers ;  one  of  the  pear  trees  which  he  planted 
stood  over  two  hundred  years,  until  1867,  when  it 
was  blown  down  in  a  storm. 


OUTLINE. 

The  Dutch  settled  on  Manhattan  Island,  1613.  Peter 
Minuit  bought  the  island  from  the  Indians  for  twenty-four 
dollars.  Patroons  settled  along  the  Hudson  River,  had 
large  estates,  and  became  wealthy.  Governor  Kieft  was  a 
very  unwise  ruler;  he  brought  on  an  Indian  war.  Peter 
Stuyvesant,  a  hot-headed  but  brave  man,  succeeded  Kieft. 
He  was  the  last  Dutch  governor  of  New  Netherland.  The 
Swedes  settled  on  the  Delaware  River.  The  Dutch  claimed 
the  land,  and  after  a  time  conquered  the  Swedes.  The 
English,  in  1664,  took  New  Amsterdam  without  a  struggle. 


no          History  of  the  United  States. 

The  Dutch  retook   the  town  in  1673.     When  peace  was 
made,  1674,  New  Netherland  was  given  to  the  English. 

Give  an  account  of  Captain  Block  and  his  discoveries. 

Tell  the  story  of  the  founding  of  New  Amsterdam. 

Who  were  the  patroons  ? 

Tell  about  Governor  Kieft ;  Peter  Stuyvesant. 

Tell  about  the  Swedes. 

Tell  how  New  Netherland  became  New  York. 


FATHER  MARQUETTE  AND  LA  SALLE. 


FOR  the  most  part,  the  English  came  to  find 
homes  in  the  New  World,  and  so  did  not  go  far 
away  from  the  Atlantic  coast,  though  they  claimed 
all  the  country  to  the  South 
Sea,  as  the  Pacific  Ocean  was 
then  called.  The  French,  on  the 
other  hand,  were  great  explorers. 

Before  the  English  settled 
Plymouth  or  Salem,  and  before 
Roger  Williams,  founded  Prov 
idence,  or  Lord  Baltimore  sent 
out  the  Ark  and  the  Dove, 
French  explorers,  traders,  and 
Jesuit  priests  had  followed  the 
course  of  the  St.  Lawrence 
River ;  while  Champlain  had 
chosen  the  site  of  Quebec,  and 
had  discovered  the  beautiful 
lake  which  bears  his  name. 

About  the  time  the  English 
colonists  were  fighting  King 
Philip,  Father  Marquette,  a 
French  Jesuit  priest,  in  com 
pany  with  Joliet,  a  fur  trader, 


JAMES  MARQUETTE. 


Who  with  Louis  Joliet  dis 
covered  the  Mississippi  River 
at  Prairie  du  Chien.  June  17, 
1673."  From  the  statue  by 
G.  Trentenove,  in  the  Rotunda 
of  the  Capitol,  Washington. 


Ill 


1 1 2          History   of  the   United  States. 

was  pushing  his  way  along  the  Great  Lakes,  and 
searching  for  a  great  river,  of  which  the  Indians 
had  told  him. 


MAP  TO  ILLUSTRATE   FRENCH   EXPLORATIONS. 

Marquette   and    Joliet   took  with    them    smoked 
meat  and  Indian  corn  to  eat;  and  beads,  watches, 


Father  Marquette  and  La  Salle.        1 1 3 

and  many  other  articles  to  exchange  with  the 
natives  for  food.  They  had  five  men  to  paddle 
their  canoes,  but  they  carried  no  warlike  weapons, 
for  their  errand  was  a  peaceful  one ;  Father  Mar 
quette  was  a  true  missionary. 

They  launched  their  canoes  on  the  Wisconsin 
River,  and  after  a  week  floated  into  the  river  of 
which  they  had  heard,  and  which  they  so  greatly 
desired  to  see. 

Now  and  then,  as  they  floated  down  the  stream, 
they  saw  many  buffaloes  on  the  banks,  but  it  was 
long  before  they  saw  any  traces  of  Indians.  After  a 
journey  of  hundreds  of  miles,  they  saw  some  foot 
prints  in  the  mud,  and,  landing,  followed  the  tracks 
until  they  reached  an  Indian  village,  where  the 
people  proved  to  be  friendly. 

The  Frenchmen  began  their  journey  again,  but 
when  they  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas 
River,  hearing  from  friendly  Indians  that  there 
were  hostile  tribes  farther  on,  they  turned  back ; 
yet  they  had  gone  far  enough  to  be  sure  that  the 
great  stream  must  empty  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
Father  Marquette,  worn  out  by  his  long  journeys 
and  the  exposure,  died  on  the  shores  of  Lake 
Michigan,  where  the  town  of  Marquette  now  stands. 

Another    Frenchman,    Robert    Cavalier    de    La 

Salle,  was  so  moved  by  the  accounts  of  Joliet  and 

others,  and  by  the  desire  to  increase  the  empire  of 

France,  that  he  resolved  to  go  on  with  the  explo- 

9 


H4          History  of  the  United  States. 

rations  which  Father  Marquette  and  Joliet  had 
begun.  He  started  in  1679,  but  was  delayed  by  so 
many  mishaps  that  he  did  not  reach  the  Mississippi 
River  for  about  two  years.  He  took  with  him  a 

party  of  Indians  and 
Frenchmen,  and  marked 
his  course  by  building  little 
forts. 

These  men  suffered  from 
hunger;  they  slept  on  the 
open  ground ;  they  would 
watch  by  night- and  march 
by  day,  loaded  with  bag 
gage,  such  as  blankets, 
clothing,  kettles,  hatchets, 
guns,  powder,  lead,  and 
skins.  Sometimes  they 
thrust  their  way  through 
thickets,  sometimes  climbed  rocks  covered  with  ice 
and  snow,  sometimes  waded  whole  days  through 
marshes  where  the  water  was  waist  deep,  but  they 
kept  on,  and  at  last  reached  the  Mississippi. 

They  continued  their  journey  down  the  great 
stream,  until,  early  in  April,  1682,  they  reached  its 
mouth.  They  were  the  first  Europeans  who  had 
made  a  continuous  voyage  from  the  upper  part  of 
the  mighty  stream  to  its  mouth. 

Everywhere  La  Salle  had  claimed  possession  of 
the  land  in  the  name  of  the  French  king, 


ROBERT  CAVALIER  SIEUR  DE  LA 
SALLE. 

After  Margry's  portrait. 


Father  Marquette  and  La  Salle.       1 1 5 

Louis  XIV.,  in  honor  of  whom  he  called  the 
country  Louisiana.  Not  far  from  the  mouth  of 
the  river  he  set  up  a  column  and  a  cross.  On 
the  column  he  painted  the  name  of  France  and 
this  inscription,  "  Louis  the  Great,  King  of  France 
and  Navarre,  reigns,  April  Qth,  1682." 

La  Salle  returned  to  France ;  two  years  later  he 
took  part  in  an  expedition  to  found  a  colony  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Mississippi.  The  commander  of  the 
fleet  went  too  far  to  the  west,  and  then  refused  to  sail 
back  in  search  of  the  river.  He  landed  La  Salle 
and  his  companions  on  the  coast  of  what  is  now 
Texas,  and  left  them  to  their  fate. 

La  Salle  encouraged  his  companions,  and  did  all 
that  was  possible  to  establish  them  securely.  He 
searched  for  the  Mississippi  River,  but  could  not 
find  it.  About  two  years  had  gone  by,  and  nothing 
had  been  heard  from  France.  He  now  determined 
to  go  overland  to  Canada  and  get  help. 

With  one-half  of  the  company,  twenty  in  number, 
he  set  out  on  his  difficult  and  perilous  journey 
of  two  thousand  miles.  The  men  were  poorly  pro 
vided  with  clothing.  They  had  to  depend  for  food 
upon  what  game  they  could  find.  There  were  no 
roads,  and  their  progress  was  very  slow.  Some  of  his 
men  rebelled.  At  length,  at  some  unknown  spot  in 
the  vast  wilderness  of  eastern  Texas,  this  brave 
and  patriotic  Frenchman  was  treacherously  killed 
by  one  of  his  followers. 


Ii6          History  of  the  United  States. 


OUTLINE. 

Father  Marquette  and  Joliet  explored  the  Mississippi 
River  as  far  as  the  Arkansas  River.  La  Salle  explored  the 
Great  West.  He  and  his  party  suffered  great  privations. 
They  sailed  down  the  river  to  its  mouth,  claimed  the  great 
territory  for  the  French  king,  and  called  it  Louisiana. 
La  Salle  made  a  second  expedition  to  the  Mississippi. 
He  and  his  party  suffered  great  hardships.  He  was  killed 
by  one  of  his  followers. 

Tell  the  story  of  Marquette  and  Joliet. 

Tell  the  story  of  La  Salle's  expedition. 

What  did  he  name  the  territory? 

Tell  the  story  of  his  second  expedition ;  of  his  death. 


NATHANIEL  BACON. 

WHILE  the  New  England  colonies  were  fighting 
with  King  Philip,  the  Virginians  were  compelled 
to  defend  themselves  against  the  southern  Indians 
The  governor  of  Virginia  at  this  time  was  Sir 
William  Berkeley.  He  was  a  harsh,  severe  ruler, 
and  had  little  sympathy  with  the  people.  He  said 
of  Virginia,  "  I  am  thankful  that  there  are  no  free 
schools  or  printing-offices,  and  I  hope  that  we  shall 
not  have  them  these  hundred  years." 

A  traveller  in  Virginia,  who  went  to  see  him  in 
1672,  was  asked  by  a  Virginian  if  the  governor  had 
called  him  "  dog  "  or  "  rogue,"  and  when  the  trav 
eller  said  "  No,"  the  Virginian  returned,  "  Then  you 
found  him  in  his  best  humor,  for  those  are  his  usual 
terms." 

Virginia  was  suffering  from  severe  laws  and 
heavy  taxes  imposed  by  the  royal  government. 
Berkeley  would  do  nothing  to  help  the  people,  and 
they  were  ready  to  rebel.  When  the  Indians 
attacked  the  frontier,  the  people  appealed  to  the 
governor  for  aid,  but  he  refused. 

It  is  said  that  he  was  making  much  money 
from  the  fur  trade  with  the  Indians,  and  knew  that  if 
he  sent  forces  against  them  he  should  lose  this  prof- 

117 


1 1 8          History  of  the  United  States. 

/ 

itable  business.  Perhaps  he  was  afraid  that  if  the 
people  were  armed  they  would  turn  against  him,  as 
soon  as  the  Indian  troubles  .were  settled. 

When  they  found  that  the  governor  would  not 
aid  them,  the  people  themselves  raised  a  force  of 


BACON  AND  BERKELEY. 


volunteers.  They  chose  Nathaniel  Bacon,  a  liberal 
young  Englishman,  to  be  their  leader,  and  marched 
against  the  savages.  Governor  Berkeley  proclaimed 
Bacon  and  all  who  were  with  him  rebels  and  trai 
tors  ;  but  Bacon  was  so  popular  that  the  governor's 
threats  did  not  amount  to  much. 

When  Bacon  returned  from  the  frontier  he  found 
himself  the  idol  of  the  colony;    he  had  also  been 


Nathaniel  Bacon.  119 

elected  a  member  of  the  legislature,  which  the 
governor  had  been  forced  to  call.  The  governor 
arrested  him,  but  was  compelled  to  set  him  free. 
In  this  legislature,  through  Bacon's  influence,  good 
laws  were  passed,  and  for  years  afterward  they  were 
known  as  "  Bacon's  Laws." 

Again  the  governor  planned  to  arrest  Bacon,  but 
he  escaped,  and  gathering  a  force  of  several  hundred 
men,  marched  on  Jamestown ;  again  the  governor 
yielded,  and  Bacon  was  appointed  "general  against 
the  Indians." 

Two  months  later  he  was  once  more  proclaimed 
a  rebel.  Berkeley,  finding  that  his  course  was  not 
approved  by  many  of  the  Virginians,  took  refuge 
in  what  he  supposed  was  the  most  loyal  part 
of  the  colony,  but,  to  his  disappointment,  the  people 
would  hear  nothing  against  Bacon.  He  then  fled 
to  the  eastern  shore  of  Virginia,  across  Chesapeake 
Bay.  Here  the  governor  was  able  to  collect  a  force 
of  a  few  hundred  men  and  some  vessels,  and,  com 
ing  back,  took  possession  of  Jamestown. 

Bacon  was  returning  from  a  successful  Indian 
campaign,  and  had  discharged  most  of  his  men ; 
but  when  he  heard  that  Berkeley  held  Jamestown, 
he  decided  to  attack  him.  Men  and  women  along 
the  road  brought  food  and  drink  to  refresh  his  little 
army,  and  the  women  cried  out,  "  General,  if  you 
need  help,  send  for  us !  " 

Bacon  very  soon  did  find  a  way  to  make  women 


120          History  of  the  United  States. 


helpful.  The  peninsula  on  which  Jamestown  was 
built  was  connected  with  the  mainland  by  a  very 
narrow  isthmus.  Bacon  occupied  this  neck  of  land, 
and  in  order  to  fortify  it  in  safety,  seized  the  wives 
and  daughters  of  some  of  Berkeley's  men,  and  sent 
one  of  them  into  Jamestown  "  to  inform  her  own 
and  other  husbands  that  he  meant  to  place  their 

wives  in  the  fore 
front  of  his  men 
who  were  to  throw 
up  the  earth 
works." 

Notwithstand 
ing  this  warning, 
Berkeley  ordered 
an  attack.  His 
men  were  re 
pulsed,  and  then, 
sure  enough,  the  women  were  "  exhibited  to  the  view 
of  their  husbands  and  friends  in  the  town,  upon  the 
top  of  the  small  work,  where  Bacon  caused  them  to 
tarry  till  he  had  finished  his  defence."  Of  course 
they  proved  to  be  an  ample  protection. 

The  governor  now  gave  up  the  town  and  retreated 
with  his  men  to  the  vessels.  When  it  was  learned 
that  Berkeley  had  stolen  away  in  the  night,  Bacon 
marched  into  the  town  and  ordered  the  place  to 
be  burnt,  so  that  "  the  rogues  should  harbor  there 
no  more."  His  orders  were  obeyed.  Nothing 


BACON  QUARTER  BRANCH. 

Where  Bacon  had  a  plantation  near  the  falls  of  the  James. 


Nathaniel   Bacon  121 

remains  of  this  earliest  English  town  in  America 
except  the  ruined  tower  of  the  old  brick  church. 

Bacon  was  now  in  control  of  Virginia,  but  he  was 
worn  out  by  excitement,  fatigue,  and  exposure  in 
the  swamps ;  before  long  he  fell  sick  and  died. 
Some  of  his  friends,  fearful  that  his  body  might  be 
taken  up  and  hung  in  chains,  either  buried  it  in  some 
place  still  unknown,  or  sunk  it  in  the  river.  With 
Bacon's  death  the  rebellion  ended. 

Berkeley  regained  power,  and  hanged  twenty- 
three  of  Bacon's  followers  as  rebels.  King  Charles, 
when  he  heard  of  this,  said,  "  That  old  fool  has 
hanged  more  men  in  that  naked  country  than  I 
have  done  for  the  murder  of  my  father/* 

Bacon  had  not  lived  in  vain.  Berkeley  was  re 
moved  by  the  king,  and  sailed  for  England  amid 
the  rejoicings  of  the  people,  who  celebrated  his 
departure  with  firing  of  cannon  and  blazing  of  bon 
fires.  The  king  for  whom  he  had  done  so  much 
refused  to  see  him,  and  he  died  in  disgrace  in  less 
than  a  year  after  Bacon's  death.  No  royal  governor 
dared  again  to  oppress  the  Virginians  as  Berkeley 
had  done. 

OUTLINE. 

Sir  William  Berkeley,  the  governor  of  Virginia,  was  a 
harsh  man  and  a  severe  ruler.  The  people  chose  Nathaniel 
Bacon  to  lead  them  against  the  Indians.  Bacon  was  very 
popular.  Through  his  influence  good  laws  were  passed 


122          History  of  the  United  States. 

Bacon  was  the  leader  of  a  rebellion  against  the  governor. 
He  was  successful,  but  died  of  disease.  Berkeley  was  at 
last  removed  by  the  king. 

Describe  Sir  William  Berkeley. 

Tell  about  Nathaniel  Bacon,  and  how  the  governor  treated  him. 

Tell  how  Bacon  attacked  Jamestown ;  his  death. 

What  was  done  to  Berkeley? 


WILLIAM   PENN. 


ABOUT  the  time  that  La  Salle  set  out  for  Canada 
(1682)  on  his  journey  to  explore  the  Mississippi 
River,  and  secure  a  great  empire  for  France,  a  very 
different  plan  was  being  arranged  in  England.  It 
was  for  the  settlement  of  a  new  English  colony, 
where  there  should  be  no  war,  where  the  people 
should  make  their  own  laws,  where  there  should  be 
political  and  religious 
liberty,  and  where  the 
Indians  should  be  treated 
justly.  The  man  who 
devised  this  plan  and 
wished  to  carry  it  out  was 
William  Penn.  He  was 
at  this  time  about  thirty- 
seven  years  old.  His 
father  had  been  a  very 
successful  captain  in  the 
English  navy,  and  had 
been  rewarded  by  being 


WILLIAM  PENN. 


At  the  age  of  22.     After  the  portrait  attrib 
uted  to  Sir  Peter  Lely. 


made  an    admiral.       He 

had     been    on    terms    of    friendship    with     King 

Charles  II.  and  with  his  brother  James,  the  Duke  of 

York. 


123 


124          History  of  the  United  States. 


FAC-SIMILE  OF  PART 
OF  THE  ROYAL 
DEED  GIVEN  TO 

PENN. 


Admiral  Penn  was  a  rich  man, 
and  had  educated  his  son  as  other 
wealthy  young  Englishmen  were 
educated ;  that  is  to  say,  to  be  skil 
ful  in  athletic  games,  to  fence  well, 
and  to  be  a  fine  and  courtly  gentle 
man.  To  finish  his  education,  Will 
iam  had  been  sent  to  Oxford. 

We  can  imagine  the  father's  dis 
pleasure  when  he  heard  that  his 
son  was  thinking  of  becoming  a 
Quaker.  The  admiral  was  of  such 
hasty  temper  that,  when  he  found 
his  son  would  not  change  his  views, 
he  flogged  the  young  man  and 
turned  him  out  of  doors. 

After  a  while,  at  the  entreaty  of 
Penn's  mother,  the  young  man  was 
allowed  to  come  back.  For  more 


William   Penn. 


U 


than  two  years,  Admiral  Penn  tried  in 
every  possible  way  to  make  his  son 
leave  the  Quakers.  He  flogged  him 
again,  he  sent  him  away  on  a  foreign 
tour,  he  reasoned  with  him,  he  threat 
ened  him,  but  in  vain  ;  a  Quaker  young 
Penn  would  be.  It  is  pleasant  to  know 
that  Admiral  Penn,  at  last,  became 
reconciled  to  his  son. 

Admiral  Penn  left  to  his  son  a  large 
estate  and  a  claim  on  the  English 
crown  for  money  lent  to  the  king, 
amounting  to  about  sixteen  thousand 
pounds  sterling.  Penn  begged  the 
king  to  give  him  lands  in  America  in 
payment  of  this  debt.  Charles  II., 
who  was  always  short  of  money,  gladly  consented  to 
pay  his  debt  in  this  way.  He  granted  to  Penn  a 
large  tract  west  of  the  D.elaware  River  and  north 


126  History  of  the  United  States. 

A  brief  Account  of  the 

of  $ennfpitomia, 


Lately  Granted  by  the 


KING, 


Under  the  GREAT 


Seal  of  England, 


TO 


WILLIAM  PENN 

AND  HIS 

Heirs     and    Affigns. 

Since  (by  the  good  Providence  of  Cod,  and  the  Favour  of  the  King)  a 
Country  in  A**nt*  is  fallen  to  my  Lor,  1  thought  it  not  left  my 
Duty,  then  my  Honcft  Intcrcft,  to  give  fomc  publick  notice  of  it  ro 
the  Work),  that  thofe  of  our  own  or  other  Nations,  that  are  inclin'd 
toTranfport  Themfclves  or  Families  beyond  the  Seas,  may  find  ano 
ther  Country  added  to  their  Choice;  that  if  they  fhall  happen  to  like 
the  Place.  Conditions,  and  Government,  (fo  far  as  the  prcfent  Infancy  of  things 
will  allow  «s  tny  profpelt;  they  may,  if  they  pleafe.  fix  with  me  in  the  Pro 
vince,  fiereafier  defcritxd. 

I.  The  KING$  Vitk  to  this  Cjuttrrj  fafore- he  grafted  tt. 
It  is  the  Jm  Gentium,  or  Latf  of  Nations,  ehat  what  ever  Wafte,  or  uncuf- 
ccd  Country,  is  the  Difcovcry  of  any  Pr"mc<J,  it  is  the  right  of  that  Prince,  that 
was  at  the  Charge  of  the  Ditcovery :  Now  this  Province  is  a  Member  of  that 
part  of  America,  which  the  King  of  EngtanJt  Anceftors  have  been  at  the  Charge 
of  Difcovcring,  and  which  they  and  he  have  .taken  great  care  to  prcfcrvc  an* 


William  Penn. 


127 


of  Maryland,  and  insisted  on  calling  it  Pennsylvania, 
after  Admiral  Penn. 

William  Penn  at  once  began  to  prepare  a  form 
of  government  for  his  new  province.  He  wished 
the  people  of  Pennsylvania  to  be  a  "free,  sober, 
and  industrious  people,"  and  "  to  be  governed  by 
laws  of  their  own  making." 


SEAL  AND  SIGNATURE  TO  THE  FRAME  OF  GOVERNMENT. 

So  anxious  was  he  to  do  what  was  best  for  all, 
that  he  called  his  plan,  "  An  holy  experiment."  He 
wished  his  province  to  be  a  place  of  refuge  for  the 
persecuted,  and  especially  for  the  Quakers,  who  had 
suffered  very  much.  At  one  time,  several  thousand 
Quakers  in  England,  were  in  prison  simply  because 
they  insisted  on  worshipping  God  as  they  thought 
right. 

Before  his  plans  were  completed  Penn  sent  a  letter 


128          History  of  the  United  States. 

to  the  Indians  to  let  them  know  his  kindly  feeling 
toward  them.  Though  the  king  had  given  him  all 
the  country,  yet  Penn  would  allow  no  land  to  be 
settled  until  it  had  been  bought  from  the  natives. 
He  made  just  laws,  in  which  the  rights  of  the 
Indians  were  carefully  looked  after. 

In  1682,  Penn  himself  came  over  with  a  number 
of  emigrants,  in  the  ship  Welcome.  On  the  voy 
age,  smallpox  broke  out  among  the  passengers 
and  the  wealthy  proprietor  of  Pennsylvania  himself 
helped  to  nurse  the  sick. 

He  was  received  with  great  rejoicing  by  the  colo 
nists.  He  had  already  directed  that  a  city  should 
be  begun,  which  he  called  Philadelphia,  the  "  City 
of  Brotherly  Love."  Some  of  the  settlers  came  to 
Philadelphia  before  their  homes  were  ready  for 
them ;  and  while  the  houses  were  building,  they 
lived  in  caves  along  the  banks  of  the  Delaware 
River. 

One  of  Penn's  first  acts  was  to  meet  the  Indians 
and  assure  them  of  his  love  and  regard  for  them,  and 
his  desire  that  they  and  the  people  of  Pennsylvania 
should  always  live  together  as  neighbors  and  friends. 

On  his  visits  to  the  tribes  they  would  give  him 
a  warm  welcome.  Once  he  found  the  Indians  en 
gaged  in  running,  jumping,  and  other  sports.  He 
had  been  very  fond  of  such  games  in  his  youth,  and 
though  he  was  now  nearly  forty  years  old,  he  was 
lithe  and  active;  so  he  ran  and  jumped  with  the 


William  Penn. 


129 


rest,  and  actually  beat  them  all,  to  the  great  delight 
of  the  Indians. 

He  often  met  the  Indians,  and  made  treaties  with 
them.  Some  of  these  were  to  show  good-will,  and 
some  for  the  purchase  of  land.  One  of  these  meet- 


THE  TREATY  ELM,  PHILADELPHIA. 

From  an  old  print. 

ings  was  held  under  a  great  elm  tree  near  Phila 
delphia.  William  Penn  wore  a  sky-blue  sash  tied 
around  his  waist,  but  he  had  no  sword  or  gun,  or  any 
thing  more  war-like  in  his  hand  than  a  roll  of  paper. 
The'  Indians,  seeing  that  he  was  unarmed,  threw 
down  their  bows  and  arrows,  and  seated  themselves 


10 


130          History  of  the  United  States. 

on  the  ground.  Penn  then  told  them  that  he  and  his 
friends  wished  to  live  in  peace  and  friendship  with 
the  Indians,  that  it  was  not  their  custom  to  fight, 
and  so  they  had  come  unarmed. 

The  principal  chief  of  the  Indians  replied  that  the 
Indians  and  the  English  must  live  in  love  as  long  as 
the  sun  and  moon  should  endure.  It  is  said  that 
the  Indians  gave  Penn  a  belt  of  wampum  as  a  mark 
of  friendship.  There  is  a  wampum  belt  in  Phila- 


WAMPUM  BELT. 

delphia,  having  on  it  the  figures  of  two  men 
shaking  hands,  which  was  given  to  Penn  on  this  or  a 
similar  occasion.  Of  this  treaty,  Voltaire,  the  great 
Frenchman,  said  "  It  was  never  sworn  to  and 
never  broken." 

There  was  no  trouble  between  the  Indians  and 
the  Pennsylvanians,  and  not  a  drop  of  Quaker  blood 
was  knowingly  shed  by  an  Indian.  For  many  years 
there  was  no  war  of  any  kind  in  Pennsylvania. 

Penn  went  back  to  England  after  two  or  three 
years;  in  1699,  he  returned  to  Pennsylvania  expect 
ing  to  end  his  days  in  America,  but  he  was  forced  to 
go  again  to  England  to  protect  his  rights.  He  was 
arrested  on  a  false  charge  of  debt,  brought  by  his 


William    Penn.  131 

agent  who  had  cheated  him  shamefully.  Penn,  rather 
than  pay  what  he  knew  was  unjust,  went  to  prison. 
His  friends,  after  a  time,  secured  his  release,  but  his 
health  was  broken  down,  and  he  died  in  1718,  leav 
ing  a  name  greatly  renowned  and  respected. 


THE  FIRST  TOWN  HALL  AND  COURT  HOUSE,  PHILADELPHIA. 

Pennsylvania  was  so  free,  and  its  soil  so  fertile, 
that  large  numbers  of  colonists  were  attracted  to  it. 
It  soon  became  one  of  the  richest  and  most  popu 
lous  of  the  colonies. 


OUTLINE. 

William  Penn,  a  wealthy  young  Englishman,  joined  the 
Quakers.      His  father  was  greatly  displeased.      William 


132  History  of  the  United  States. 

Penn  inherited  large  property.  To  pay  him  a  debt  King 
Charles  gave  him  Pennsylvania.  Penn  founded  a  colony 
where  justice  was  to  be  the  law.  The  colony  was  to  be  a 
refuge  for  all  the  oppressed,  but  especially  for  the  Quakers. 
Penn  bought  land  of  the  Indians,  treated  them  justly,  and 
for  years  there  was  no  trouble  with  the  Indians.  Penn 
returned  to  England.  Pennsylvania  became  one  of  the 
richest  of  the  colonies. 

Tell  the  story  of  William  Penn  as  a  young  man. 

How  did  he  get  Pennsylvania? 

What  did  he  call  his  plan  of  government? 

What  great  city  did  he  found  ? 

How  did  he  treat  the  Indians? 

Tell  the  story  of  the  treaty. 


OGLETHORPE   AND   GEORGIA. 


THE  Cabots  had  claimed  the  Atlantic  coast  of 
North  America  for  England  in  1497,  but  it  was  not 
until  1607,  more  than  a  hundred  years  later,  that 
Jamestown,  the  first  successful  English  colony,  was 
settled.  It  was  another 
hundred  years  and  more, 
before  Georgia,  the  thir 
teenth  and  last  English 
colony,  was  established  in 

I733- 

The  story  of  this  colony 

is  different  from  that  of 
any  of  the  others.  The 
settlement  was  due  entirely 
to  one  man,  General  James 
Edward  Oglethorpe.  He 
was  an  Englishman  who 
had  seen  much  of  life.  He  had  fought  under  the 
great  Duke  of  Marlborough  against  Louis  XIV.  of 
France,  and  had  fought  against  the  Turks  ;  in  his 
younger  days,  he  had  seen  many  wonderful  adven 
tures,  but  unlike  Captain  John  Smith,  he  never 
wished  to  talk  about  them. 

A  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago  it  was  a  very  com- 

133 


JAMES  EDWARD  OGLETHORPE. 

After  the  painting  by  Ravenet. 


134          History  of  the  United  States. 

mon  thing,  both  in  England  and  elsewhere,  to  send 
to  prison  one  who  could  not  pay  his  debts.  A  man 
might  be  imprisoned  for  owing  even  a  shilling. 
And  sometimes  a  debtor  would  spend  years  in  prison 
because  he  could  not  pay  a  small  sum.  There  was 
much  suffering  on  account  of  this  hard  law. 

It  happened  that  one  of  Oglethorpe's  friends  was 
sent  to  prison  for  debt,  and  suffered  so  much  while 
there  from  the  poor  food,  bad  air,  and  hard  treat 
ment,  that  he  died.  This  called  Oglethorpe's 
attention  to  the  great  number  of  men  in  debtor's 
prisons.  He  found  also  that  those  in  prison  were  not 
the  only  sufferers,  for  their  families  were  deprived 
of  support. 

He  began  to  exert  himself  on  behalf  of  the  suffer 
ers,  and  after  much  labor  succeeded  in  getting  Par 
liament  to  modify  the  laws.  He  was  also  able  to 
secure  liberty  for  several  hundred  debtors.  But 
this  was  not  all.  He  knew  that  many  of  these 
unfortunate  persons,  even  if  set  free,  could  get  no 
work  in  England ;  and  the  idea  came  into  his  mind 
that  in  the  New  World  they  could  start  afresh  with 
some  hope  of  success. 

After  careful  thought,  he  applied  to  King  George 
for  some  land  in  America  to  found  a  colony.  The 
king  granted  him  a  tract  of  land  south  of  the 
Savannah  River. 

Oglethorpe  named  the  colony  Georgia,  in  honor 
of  the  king.  It  was  intended  not  only  for  those 


Oglethorpe  and  Georgia. 


'35 


who  were  unable  to  pay  their  debts,  but  also  for 
those  who  were  oppressed,  and  especially  for  perse 
cuted  Protestants.  Oglethorpe  would  not  take  the 
rule  himself,  but  all  power  was  given  to  a  board  of 
trustees. 

Many  persons  in  England  were  interested  in  the 
plan,  and  gave  money  to  carry  it  into  effect.     Ogle- 


A  VIEW  OF  SAVANNAH,  GEORGIA. 

From  a  print  published  in  London  in  1741,  and  humbly  inscribed  to 
General  Oglethorpe. 

thorpe  himself  took  out  over  one  hundred  emi 
grants,  who  reached  Georgia  in  1733.  Oglethorpe 
chose  the  site  of  the  city  of  Savannah,  and  laid  out 
its  plan.  Like  William  Penn,  he  bought  the  land 
from  the  Indians,  who  for  a  long  time  remained 
very  friendly.  Once  some  of  the  Indians  gave 
Oglethorpe  a  buffalo  skin,  on  the  inside  of  which 


136          History  of  the  United  States. 

were  painted  an  eagle's  head  and  some  feathers. 
"The  feathers,"  they  said,  "are  soft,  and  stand  for 
love ;  and  the  skin  is  warm,  and  means  protection ; 
so  love  and  protect  us." 

Oglethorpe  lived  a  whole  year  in  a  tent,  doing  all 
that  he  could  to  help  the  colonists.  He  would  not 
allow  any  rum  in  the  colony,  nor  would  he  have 
any  slaves. 

He  knew  that  industry  is  necessary  for  success, 
and,  finding  that  mulberry  trees  would  grow  in 
Georgia,  he  sent  to  Europe  for  silk  worms,  which 
feed  upon  mulberry  leaves,  hoping  that  Georgia 
would  become  a  great  silk-producing  country ;  but 
the  business  did  not  pay  very  well,  and  after  some 
years  it  was  given  up. 

The  Spaniards  in  Florida  were  angry  because  of 
the  settlement  of  Georgia,  claiming  that  the  colony 
was  upon  Spanish  territory ;  and  they  prepared  for 
war.  Oglethorpe,  who  was  an  old  soldier,  was  not 
afraid  of  the  Spaniards,  and  defeated  them  so  com 
pletely  that  there  was  no  trouble  for  a  long  time. 

The  news  that  Georgia  was  a  place  for  the  op 
pressed  soon  spread  over  Europe,  and  Moravians 
and  Lutherans  from  the  Continent,  and  Highland 
ers  from  Scotland,  came  over  to  the  settlement.  The 
colony  promised  well,  but  some  of  the  laws  which 
Oglethorpe  and  the  trustees  had  made  for  the  bene 
fit  of  the  colonists  were  not  popular. 

Their   neighbors   in    the    Carolinas   and    in   the 


Oglethorpe  and  Georgia.  137 

other  colonies  had  slaves,  and  these  colonists  wished 
to  have  slaves ;  the  rum  trade  also  was  very  profita 
ble,  and  they  longed  for  a  share  in  the  business. 
They  did  not  like  the  restrictions  thrown  around 
them,  and  one  by  one  these  had  to  be  given  up. 
Slaves  were  introduced  before  many  years,  and  the 
rum  trade  was  begun. 

One  great  reason  why  the  colony  did  not  at  first 
prosper  was  that  the  colonists  were  not  enterprising 
men.  Many  of  them  had  fallen  into  trouble  in  Eng 
land  and  had  become  debtors  because  they  had  not 
the  knack  of  getting  on  in  the  world  ;  and  moving 
to  Georgia  had  not  changed  their  characters. 

The  trustees,  after  twenty  years'  trial,  gave  up 
their  charter  to  the  king,  and  Georgia  became  a 
royal  colony,  in  its  laws  and  form  of  government 
resetnbling  the  other  colonies.  More  emigrants 
came,  and  gradually  Georgia  entered  on  a  prosper 
ous  career. 

Oglethorpe  spent  ten  years  or  more  in  the  col 
ony,  and  then  went  back  to  England.  He  lived  to 
see  the  independence  of  the  United  States.  Some 
one  who  saw  him  in  1 784  wrote,  "  Even  then  he 
was  the  finest  figure  of  a  man  you  ever  saw ;  but 
very,  very  old ;  the  flesh  on  his  face  like  parchment." 
He  died  the  next  year,  1785,  the  last  of  the  original 
English  colonizers  and  one  of  the  best. 


138          History  of  the  United  States. 


OUTLINE. 

General  Oglethorpe,  moved  by  the  hardships  of  pris 
oners  for  debt,  founded  Georgia.  This  was  the  last  of  the 
English  colonies  to  be  established.  He  invited  the  op 
pressed  of  all  nations.  He  gained  no  profit  for  himself. 
Laws  were  made  for  the  good  of  the  people,  but  they  did 
not  like  them.  The  colony  was  not  prosperous  for  a  long 
time. 

Tell  the  story  of  Oglethorpe. 

What  suggested  to  him  the  founding  of  a  colony  ? 

Whom  did  he  invite  to  his  colony? 

What  was  it  called  ? 

Why  was  it  not  successful  ? 


LIFE   IN    NEW   ENGLAND    AND  THE  MIDDLE 
COLONIES   BEFORE   THE    REVOLUTION. 

THE  colonists  in  New  England  had  come  from 
England  expecting  to  work,  and  they  brought  up 
their  children  in  the  same  way  of  thinking.  No 
idle  persons  were  tolerated. 

In  the  early  days,  there  was  continual  fear  of  the 
Indians  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  and  constant 
watch  had  to  be  kept  for  these  dreaded  foes.  This 
fear  led  the  people  to  live  very  much  in  villages, 
rather  than  on  plantations  as  in  Virginia,  or  on  large 
farms  as  in  Pennsylvania. 

The  attention  of  the  colonists  was  early  turned 
to  the  sea,  as  the  soil  of  New  England  is  rocky  and 
not  very  fertile.  Soon  there  were  no  better  sailors 
in  the  world  than  those  of  New  England.  Their 
vessels  went  to  the  banks  of  Newfoundland  for 
codfish,  and,  besides  this,  a  large  and  very  profit 
able  trade  sprang  up  with  the  West  Indies.  The 
vessels  took  fish,  lumber,  and  flour,  and  brought 
back  sugar,  and  especially  molasses,  out  of  which 
rum  was  made. 

The  life  of  the  people  was  simple  and  often  severe. 
This  was  shown  most  in  their  religion.  We  have 
seen  how  the  old  Puritans  were  unwilling  for  others 

139 


140          History  of  the  United  States. 

to  act  or  even  to  think  differently  from  them  in  re 
gard  to  religious  matters.  This  led  the  ministers 
and  the  magistrates  to  persecute  the  Quakers  and 
others.  Rhode  Island  alone  of  the  New  England 
colonies  never  persecuted  men  on  account  of  their 
religion. 


FEMALE  COSTUMES  OF  1776. 

The  minister,  particularly  in  the  earlier  days,  was 
the  most  important  man  in  the  community.  The 
churches,  or  "  meeting-houses,"  as  they  called  them, 
were  built  usually  of  wood,  with  lofty  pulpits  and 
high-back  pews.  The  meeting-house  was  not  heated 
in  winter,  and  to  keep  warm  the  church-goers  carried 
from  home  hot  stones  or  bricks,  and,  in  later  times, 
small  foot-stoves.  Sermons  were  often  two  hours 
long.  The  hymns  and  psalms  were  given  out  by  the 


Life  in  New  England.  141: 

minister  or  clerk,  line  by  line,  and  sung  by  the  whole 
congregation.  It  was  the  duty  of  the  tithing-man 
to  keep  order  in  the  meeting-house,  and  if  boys  and 
girls  went  to  sleep  or  misbehaved  in  meeting,  they 
would  feel  the  rap  of  his  stick  on  their  heads.  Men 


A  DAME  SCHOOL. 


and  women,  if  they  fell  asleep,  were  also  waked  up, 
the  men,  by  the  tap  of  one  end  of  the  stick,  and  the 
women,  by  the  tickling  of  their  faces  with  a  fox 
tail,  which  hung  from  the  other  end  of  the  stick. 
Fines  for  misconduct  in  church  were  common,  and 


142          History  of  the   United  States. 


we  are  told  of  one  girl  who  was  fined  five  shillings 
for  laughing  in  meeting. 

The  value  in  which  education  was  held  is  shown 
by  the  founding  of  Harvard  College  in  1636  and 
Yale  College  in  1701.  In  most  of  the  colonies 

children  were 
compelled  to  go 
to  school.  The 
early  school- 

l/fjuV/beaureouiWife   house,    however, 
115   was   very  differ 
ent  from  most  of 
Whales  in  the  Sea 
God's  Voice  obey. 


Time  cuts  down  all 
Both  great  and  fraall. 


Made  David  fccfc 
Life. 


those  of  to-day. 
There  were  no 
desks,  and  low 
benches  without 
backs  were  the 
only  seats ;  oiled 
paper  was  used 
in  the  windows 
instead  of  glass, 
and  everything 
was  of  the  rud 
est  description. 

Any  noise  or 
disorder  was 
severely  punished,  and  the  schoolmaster  was  almost 
as  much  feared  as  the  minister.  The  school  books 
were  few ;  the  master  or  mistress  set  copies  to  teach 


Xerxes  the  great  did 
die, 

And  fo  mult  you  &  I, 

Toutb  forward  flips 
Death  fooneft  Dips. 

Zacbevs  fie 

Did  climb  tfie  Tret 

Hrt  Lord  to  fee. 


FAC-SIMILE  OF  A  PAGE  FROM  THE 
ENGLAND  PRIMER." 


NEW 


By  permission  of  Dodd,  Mead  &  Co. 


Life  in  New  England. 

writing,  and  examples  in  arithmetic  to  be  worked  out. 
For  about  a  hundred  years,  the  "  New  England 
Primer "  was  the  chief  text-book.  From  this  little 
book  the  boys  and  girls  were  taught  their  letters  and 
how  to  spell ;  and  from  it  they  learned  Bible  texts 
and  hymns  to  repeat  aloud.  It  had  queer  pictures, 
with  verses  intended  to  teach  some  useful  lesson. 
Little  besides  reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic  was 
taught.  It  was  another  duty  of  the  tithing-man  to 
hunt  up  truants  and  bring  them  to  school. 

The  dwelling-houses  were  generally  built  of  wood. 
The  most  important  room  was  the  kitchen ;  in 
winter  this  was  the  only  warm  room  in  the  house. 
In  the  kitchen  was  a  yawning  fireplace,  large  enough 
to  take  in  logs  four 
or  five  feet  long.  In 
the  fireplace  was  the 
crane,  from  which 
hung  pot-hooks  and 
hangers  to  support  the 
pots  and  kettles  over 
the  fire.  Around  the 
hearth,  during  the  long 

•     ,  •  TINDER  Box,  FLINT,  AND  STEEL. 

winter   evenings,    was 

gathered  the  family,  the  women  spinning  or  weaving 
or  knitting,  while  the  men  rested  after  the  day's  work. 
One  or  two  tallow-dip  candles  gave  all  the  light 
except  that  which  came  from  the  fire.  A  tall  clock 
ticked  in  one  corner;  by  it  was  a  brass  warming-pan 


144          History  of  the  United  States. 

with  a  long  handle;  a  weatherwise  almanac  hung 
from  a  peg;  bunches  of  herbs,  to  be  used  in  times 
of  sickness,  and  strings  of  dried  apples,  dangled  from 
the  ceiling;  a  tall  dresser,  with  rows  of  plates  and 
pewter  platters,  was  on  one  side  of  the  room,  while 
wooden-seated  chairs,  a  settle  in  the  corner,  and  one 


A  NEW  ENGLAND  KITCHEN. 


or  two  tables  completed  the  furniture.  There  were 
no  matches  :  instead  of  them,  a  tinder-box,  flint,  and 
steel  were  used  to  strike  a  light. 

Life  was  not  without  amusement,  for  there  were 
apple-paring  and  quilting  bees,  corn-huskings, 
house  and  barn  raisings,  and  various  gatherings 


Life  in  New  England. 


'45 


at  which  the  young  men  and  young  women  and 
the  boys  and  girls  had  much  fun.  The  great  day 
of  the  year  was  Thanksgiving  Day,  for  Christmas 
was  not  then  observed  in  New  England.  Wed 
dings  and  funerals  were  very  great  occasions,  and 
old  and  young  from  all  the  country  round  would 
come  to  attend  them. 

There  were,  of  course,  many  fine  mansions  in 
New  England,  and  many  persons  lived  in  hand 
some  style,  but 
the  general  way 
of  living  was 
much  simpler 
than  in  the  other 
colonies. 

In  New  York 
there  were  many 
things  which 
showed  the  influ- 
ence  of  the 
Dutch.  The  pa- 
troons  along  the 
Hudson  River, 
with  their 
manor-houses  and  their  extensive  farms,  lived  like 
noblemen.  Their  houses  were  large  and  finely  orna 
mented  ;  the  mantelpieces  were  carved  and  the  fire 
places  surrounded  with  tiles.  There  was  usually  a 
large  garden,  carefully  laid  out  with  edges  of  box, 


A  SPINNING  WHEEL. 


IT 


146          History  of  the   United   States. 

and  beds  full  of  bright  flowers.  The  lands  of  these 
patroons  were  well  cultivated,  large  herds  of  cattle 
were  in  the  fields,  and  great  crops  of  hay,  straw, 
and  other  produce  filled  their  barns. 

The  smaller  Dutch  farmers  and  their  descendants 
were  industrious  and  thrifty ;  their  houses  were  mod 
els  of  neatness,  and  their  wives  were  the  best  cooks 


CONESTOGA  WAGON. 

in  America.  They  took  life  more  easily  than  the  New 
Englanders,  and  gave  more  time  to  amusements. 

Pennsylvania,  settled  by  the  Quakers  and  Ger 
mans,  was  perhaps  the  most  prosperous  of  the 
colonies.  Here  were  large  farms  of  fertile  and  well- 
cultivated  land.  The  establishments  of  the  Friends 
were  neat  and  well  taken  care  of;  the  farms  of  the 


Life  in   New  England,    i  147 

Germans  were  easily  recognized  by  the  huge,  well- 
appointed  barns  and  the  small  farm-houses.  The 
thrifty  German  knew  that  well-housed  and  well- 
fed  cattle  give  more  milk,  weigh  heavier,  and  are 
more  profitable  in  every  way.  Wheat  and  corn, 
straw  and  hay,  went  further  and  sold  better  when 
kept  from  the  weather ;  so  the  barns  were  large, 
well  built,  and  kept  in  good  repair.  Here,  too, 
could  be  seen  the  Conestoga  wagon,  with  its  large 
body  shaped  somewhat  like  a  boat,  the  back 
and  front  rising  far  above  the  axles,  while  the 
whole  wagon  was  covered  with  coarse  cotton  cloth 
stretched  over  bent  supports  and  gathered  together 
at  each  end. 

The  roads  in  all  the  colonies  were  bad.  It  took 
a  long  time  to  go  from  place  to  place ;  so  every 
thing  possible  was  made  at  home.  Each  village 
had  its  blacksmith  and  its  wheelwright,  and  mills 
for  grinding  grain  were  placed  on  the  nearest 
stream  which  had  fall  enough  to  give  the  necessary 
power.  Where  there  were  no  suitable  streams,  as 
on  Cape  Cod,  the  island  of  Nantucket,  and  else 
where,  quaint  windmills  were  built,  some  of  which 
are  still  standing. 

When  possible,  travellers  went  by  water  or  on 
horseback.  Those  who  went  by  coach  frequently 
had  to  get  down  and  drag  the  coach  out  of  some 
quagmire.  In  many  places  a  ride  of  thirty  miles  was 
considered  a  good  day's  journey.  The  fast  coach, 


148          History  of  the  United  States. 


known  as  the  "  Flying  Machine,"  was  advertised  to 
make  the  journey  of  ninety  miles  between  New  York 
and  Philadelphia  in  a  day  and  a  half ;  while  it  took 
five  days  to  go  the  hundred  miles  between  Phila 
delphia  and  Baltimore,  and  six  days  to  go  from 

Boston  to  New  York. 
In  many  parts  of 
the  country  there  was 
no  mail  at  all,  and  the 
few  letters  which  were 
written  were  sent  by 
private  hands.  In 

day,  Wednefday,  and  Friday  Mornings,  for  Philadelphia, 

and  performs  the  Journey  in  a  Day  and  a  Half,  for  the  I  7  7  S ,     It 

Summer  Seafon ,  till  the  ift  of  November  ;  from  that  Time 

to  go  twice  a  Week    till  the  firft  of  May,  when  they  p       OTPH  f 

again  perform  it  three  Times  a  Week.    When  the  Stages  **      t> 

go  onfy  twice  a  Week,  they  fet  off  Mondays  and  Thurf-  ,        i  11  M 

days.    The  Waggons  in  Philadelphia   fet  out  from  the  tO    naVC  a   WeCKlV  mail 

Sign  of  the  George,  in  Second  ftreet,  the  fame  Morning. 

The  PafTengers  are  defined  to  croft  the  Ferry  the  Evening  hpfwppn      Ro^fnn      ^nfl 

before,  astne  Stages  muft  fet  off  early  the  next  Morning  UeiWCen      DOblOl 


Tothe   PUBLIC. 
'HE  FLYING  MACHINE,  kept  by 


in  Proportion. 

As  the  Proprietor  has  made  fuch  Improvements  upon 
the  Machines,  one  of  which  is  in  Imitation  of  4  Coach, 
he  hopes  to  merit  the  Favourof  the  Publick. 

JOHN  MERCEREAU. 

JWTttrA  Caufff  jfji 

"FLYING  MACHINE"  ADVERTISEMENT. 


Philadelphia,  and  to 
receive  answers  to 
letters  from  either  city 
within  three  weeks. 

Life  in  the  southern 
colonies  was  quite  different  from  that  farther  north. 
This  was  due  partly  to  the  character  of  the  country, 
partly  to  the  people,  and  partly  to  the  number  of 
negro  slaves.  Some  of  the  more  prominent  cir 
cumstances  of  southern  life  are  noted  in  the  chapter 
on  Washington. 


Life  in  New  England.  149 


OUTLINE. 

The  colonists  in  New  England  came  to  make  homes. 
There  was  great  dread  of  the  Indians.  The  soil  being 
poor,  many  of  the  colonists  became  seamen,  and  commerce 
sprang  up.  The  life  of  the  people  was  simple,  and  often 
severe.  The  minister  was  the  most  important  man.  Church 
services  were  held  in  high  esteem.  Education  was  valued. 
Harvard  College  was  founded  1636,  and  Yale  College  1701. 
Only  the  elements  of  learning  were  taught  in  the  schools. 
Dwelling-houses  were  usually  built  of  wood. 

In  New  York  the  influence  of  the  Dutch  was  seen.  The 
patroons  lived  like  noblemen.  The  Dutch  were  good 
farmers,  and  were  very  industrious  and  thrifty. 

Pennsylvania  was  perhaps  the  most  prosperous  of  all 
the  colonies.  Roads  in  all  the  colonies  were  bad.  It  took 
a  long  time  to  go  from  place  to  place.  In  many  parts  of 
the  country  there  were  no  mails. 

Why  did  many  of  the  New  England  colonists  become  sailors? 

Describe  the  meeting-houses  and  the  services. 

What  was  done  if  any  one  misbehaved  ? 

Describe  the  schools. 

Tell  about  the  dwelling-houses  and  their  furniture. 

Tell  about  life  in  New  York  ;  in  Pennsylvania. 


BENJAMIN    FRANKLIN. 

BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN,  the  youngest  son  of  his 
parents,  and  of  seventeen  children  the  fifteenth,  was 

born  in  Boston,  Massachusetts, 
January  17,  1706.  Josiah 
Franklin,  his  father,  was  stern, 
and  very  independent  and  un 
yielding  in  his  character. 

When  Benjamin  was  ten 
years  old,  he  was  taken  from 
school,  and  put  to  work  in  his, 
father's  shop,  where  soap  and 

FRANKLIN'S  BIRTHPLACE.       ,    n  ,,  ,          T, 

tallow  candles  were  made.  It 
was  the  boy's  business  to  help  in  the  boiling  of  the 
soap,  to  put  the  wicks  in  the  candle-moulds,  and  to 
trim  them.  When  not  at  work  he  used  to  play 
about  the  wharves  of  Boston,  which  were  near  his 
father's  house,  and  he  early  learned  to  swim  like 
a  duck  and  to  row  a  boat,  and  he  came  to  think 
it  would  be  a  fine  thing  to  go  to  sea. 

Benjamin  disliked  his  work  so  much  that  his 
father,  fearing  his  son  would  run  away,  looked 
around  to  find  some  other  trade  for  him.  Taking 
his  son  to  walk  with  him.  he  visited  joiners,  braziers, 


Benjamin  Franklin.  151 

bricklayers,  and  turners  at  their  work,  to  see  if 
Benjamin  would  be  attracted  to  one  of  these  trades. 
But  the  boy  did  not  like  any  of  them. 

From  the  time  he  could  read,  young  Benjamin 
had  been  very  fond  of  books,  and  his  father  thought 


BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN. 

After  the  portrait  by  Duplessis,  painted  in  1783. 

that  he  might  make  a  good  printer.     Now  James 
Franklin,  one  of  Benjamin's  older  brothers,  had  a 
printing-office,  and  to  his  brother  James,  one  of  the 
first  printers  in  America,  the  lad  was  apprenticed. 
So  the  boy  had  left  school,  had  tried  one  trade, 


152          History  of  the  United  States. 

and  had  started  in  another,  before  he  was  thirteen 
years  old.  Benjamin  liked  his  new  business  very 
much,  and  soon  became  an  expert  printer. 

He  now  could  see  much  of  books,  for  his  brother 
dealt  with  booksellers,  and  Benjamin  was  able  to 
borrow  many  volumes,  all  of  which  he  read  eagerly, 
sometimes  sitting  up  most  of  the  night  in  order  to 
finish  one.  All  the  money  he  was  able  to  spare  he 
spent  on  books. 

He  begged  his  brother  to  give  him  half  of  what 
his  board  cost,  and  to  let  him  board  himself.  His 
brother  agreed  to  this.  Benjamin  now  lived  on  the 
simplest  diet,  eating  no  meat  at  all.  While  the 
other  printers  were  taking  their  time  over  their 
dinner,  he  was  reading. 

He  secretly  wrote  articles  for  the  newspaper 
printed  by  his  brother,  and  slipped  his  essays,  writ 
ten  in  a  disguised  hand,  under  the  door  of  the  shop. 
Nobody  suspected  that  the  boy  had  written  these 
essays,  but  they  were  good  enough  to  print,  and 
they  were  printed. 

He  was  greatly  amused  to  hear  his  brother  talk 
ing  about  these  articles,  and  wondering  who  could 
have  written  them.  When  James  Franklin  found 
out  who  was  the  author,  he  was  both  angry  and 
jealous.  Benjamin  was  now  and  then  flogged  by 
his  brother,  for  a  master  had  great  power  over  his 
apprentices  in  those  days. 

One  day  James  Franklin  published  something  in 


Benjamin  Franklin.  153 

his  paper  which  displeased  the  government  so  much 
that  he  was  put  into  prison.  Now,  no  apprentice 
was  allowed  to  carry  on  a  business,  and  yet  James 
Franklin  wished  Benjamin  to  carry  on  the  paper, 
for  otherwise  it  would  be  stopped.  So  Benjamin 
was  released  from  his  apprenticeship,  and  the  paper 
was  published  in  his  name.  The  youth  of  sixteen 
had  actually  become  a  newspaper  publisher. 

When  James  Franklin  was  released  from  prison 
he  took  up  his  business  again,  but  the  brothers  did 
not  get  on  together  any  better  than  before,  and  Ben 
jamin  determined  to  leave  his  brother's  employ. 

Finding  that  he  could  not  get  any  work  in  Bos 
ton,  Benjamin  made  up  his  mind  to  run  away.  He 
went  on  board  a  sloop  bound  for  New  York,  where 
he  hoped  to  find  employment.  After  a  voyage  of 
three  days  he  reached  that  town,  but  was  unsuccess 
ful  in  finding  work,  and  was  advised  to  go  on  to 
Philadelphia. 

He  took  passage  on  a  sloop  to  Amboy.  The 
weather  was  very  stormy,  and  Frank!  in  got  thoroughly 
wet.  On  reaching  Amboy  he  started  to  walk  across 
New  Jersey.  It  was  raining,  and  soon  his  clothes 
were  spattered  over  with  mud,  so  that  he  was  a 
most  sorry-looking  figure.  But  he  persevered,  and 
on  the  third  day  reached  Burlington.  Here  he 
secured  a  place  on  a  boat  going  to  Philadelphia. 

It  was  night  before  that  town  was  reached,  and 
there  were  so  few  lights  that  the  crew  rowed  past  it 


154          History  of  the  United  States. 

before  they  were  aware.  They  went  ashore,  and 
making  a  fire  of  some  fence  rails,  spent  the  night  on 
the  ground. 

In  the  morning  they  rowed  back  to  Philadelphia, 
and  landed  at  the  foot  of  Market  Street.  Franklin 
was  without  luggage,  and  he  set  foot  in  Phila 
delphia  in  muddy  clothes  and  with  his  pockets 
stuffed  out  with  stockings  and  shirts. 

He  inquired  for  a  baker's  shop.  When  he  found 
one,  he  asked  for  three  pennyworth  of  bread.  "  He 
gave  me,"  says  Franklin,  "three  great  puffy  rolls.  I 
was  surprised  at  the  quantity,  but  took  it,  and,  having 
no  room  in  my  pockets,  walked  off  with  a  roll  under 
each  arm  and  eating  the  other.  Thus  I  went  up 
Market  Street  as  far  as  Fourth  Street,  passing  by 
the  door  of  Mr.  Read,  my  future  wife's  father;  when 
she,  standing  at  the  door,  saw  me,  and  thought  I 
made,  as  I  certainly  did,  a  most  awkward,  ridiculous 
appearance." 

After  eating  his  roll,  he  washed  it  down  with  a 
draught  of  water  from  the  river.  The  other  two 
rolls  he  gave  to  a  woman. 

He  was  tired  and  sleepy,  and  followed  a  number 
of  persons  into  what  proved  to  be  a  Quaker  meet 
ing-house,  for  it  was  Sunday  morning.  It  happened 
that  no  one  preached  that  day,  and  Franklin,  soothed 
by  the  quiet,  went  to  sleep,  and  was  wakened  only 
by  the  Friends  going  out.  "  This,"  he  says,  "  was 
the  first  house  I  was  in,  or  slept  in,  in  Philadelphia." 


Benjamin  "Franklin.  155 

Franklin  soon  found  employment  with  a  printer 
named  Keimer.  There  were  only  two  printers  in 
Philadelphia,  in  1723,  the  year  of  Franklin's  arrival, 
and  neither  was  a  good  workman.  Franklin's  superior 
skill  soon  attracted  notice,  for  Philadelphia  was  then 
a  small  place. 

One  day  Keimer  was  greatly  surprised  and 
pleased  to  see  Sir  William  Keith,  the  governor  of 
Pennsylvania,  come  into  his  office.  However,  it 
was  not  Keimer  but  young  Franklin  that  the  gov 
ernor  wished  to  see. 

The  governor  was  much  pleased  with  Franklin, 
and  took  him  home  to  dinner;  he  even  proposed 
that  the  young  man  should  set  up  in  business  for 
himself,  promising  to  give  him  the  government 
printing.  But  Franklin  had  no  money  to  buy  type 
and  presses,  and  he  did  not  believe  that  his  father 
would  help  him.  The  governor  said  "  He  will,  if  I 
write  him  a  letter."  It  seemed  too  good  a  chance 
to  throw  away,  so  Benjamin  went  back  to  Boston 
to  see  his  father. 

Franklin  had  been  remarkably  successful.  He 
had  been  frugal  and  industrious,  and  he  presented 
a  very  different  appearance  from  that  of  the  runaway 
youth  of  the  previous  year.  "  I  had  on,"  he  says,  "  a 
genteel  new  suit  from  head  to  foot,  a  watch,  and 
my  pockets  lined  with  near  five  pounds  sterling  in 
silver." 

The  old  Puritan  father  had  no  confidence  in  the 


156          History  of  the  United  States. 

promises  of  the  governor,  nor  did  he  think  well  of 
"setting  a  boy  up  in  business,  who  wanted  yet 
three  years  of  being  at  man's  estate.''  So  Benja 
min  got  little  besides  good  advice. 

On  his  return  to  Philadelphia,  the  governor  said, 
"  Since  your  father  will  not  set  you  up,  I  will  do  it 
myself."  He  advised  Franklin  to  go  to  London 
to  buy  his  types  and  press,  and  promised  to  give 
him  letters  of  introduction  and  money  drafts. 

But  the  governor  put  off  giving  the  letters  and 
drafts  from  day  to  day,  until  the  very  day  of  sail 
ing  came ;  then  he  promised  that  he  would  send 
them  on  board  at  Newcastle.  At  the  last  moment, 
a  messenger  from  the  governor  did  come  with  a 
package,  and  the  vessel  set  sail.  When  the  pack 
age  was  opened  on  the  voyage,  nothing  was  found 
for  Franklin.  Governor  Keith  had  cheated  the 
young  man. 

Franklin  found  employment  in  London,  at  wages 
more  than  enough  to  support  him.  His  fellow- 
printers  were  great  beer  drinkers.  Franklin  drank 
nothing  but  water,  and  though  he  was  ridiculed  and 
called  the  "  water  American,"  he  persevered  in  his 
practice,  and  proved  that  he  was  stronger  than 
those  who  drank  so  much  beer. 

His  fondness  for  reading  did  not  lessen,  and  he 
now  paid  a  second-hand  bookseller  for  the  privi 
lege  of  reading  books  from  his  stall. 

Franklin  did   not  like   England  very  much;  so 


Benjamin  Franklin. 


when,  after  a  stay  of  eighteen  months,  he  had  an 
opportunity  to  return,  he  gladly  came  back  to  Amer 
ica.  He  reached  Philadelphia  in  October,  1756,  and 
found  work  with  his  old  employer,  Keimer.  After 
a  while,  the  father  of  one  of  his  companions  in  the 
printing-office  set  up  his  son  and  Franklin  in  busi 
ness  together. 

Franklin  was  skilful, 
industrious,  and  a  good 
manager;  but  his  partner 
took  to  drinking,  and 
soon  the  business  fell 
largely  into  Franklin's 
hands.  Some  of  his 
friends,  seeing  his  thrift 
and  industry,  lent  him 
money  to  buy  out  his 
partner,  and  Franklin 
had  now  a  printing-house 
of  his  own. 

Before  this,  the  young 
men  had  bought  a  news-  In  the  custody  of  the  Smithsonian  Institute- 
paper,  the  Pennsylvania  Gazetted  Franklin  im 
proved  the  paper  so  much  that  its  circulation  was 
greatly  increased.  He  was  one  of  the  first  pub 
lishers  to  encourage  frequent  advertising. 

He  was  shrewd  as  well  as  industrious.     He  says: 

1  This  paper  still  exists ;  it  is  now  called  the  Saturday  Evening 

Post. 


FRANKLIN'S  PRINTING  PRESS. 


158          History  of  the  United  States. 


"  In  order  to  secure  my  credit  and  character  as  a 
tradesman,  I  took  care  not  only  to  be  in  reality 
industrious  and  frugal,  but  to  avoid  all  appearances 
to  the  contrary.  I  dressed  plainly;  I  was  seen  at 
no  places  of  idle  diversion ;  I  never  went  out  a-fish- 
ing  or  shooting ;  and,  to  show  that  I  was  not  above 
my  business,  I  sometimes  brought  home  the  paper 

I  purchased  at  the  stores, 
through  the  streets  on  a 
wheelbarrow." 

He  paid  all  his  bills 
promptly,  a  practice  which 
gained  for  him  a  well- 
deserved  reputation  for  in 
dustry  and  frugality.  He 
did  his  work  well,  and  he 
soon  had  all  the  business 
he  could  attend  to. 

In  1730,  he  married  Deb 
orah  Read,  the  young 
lady  who  had  laughed  at  him  on  his  first  entrance 
into  Philadelphia.  The  marriage  was  a  congenial 
one,  and  they  lived  together  more  than  forty  years. 
Deborah  Franklin  was  a  true  helper  to  her  hus 
band.  She  folded  and  stitched  the  pamphlets, 
attended  to  the  stationery  shop,  and  did  all  the 
housework. 

Franklin's   marriage  steadied    him,  for,  notwith 
standing  his  good  sense  and  general  industry,  he 


FRANKLIN'S  OLD  BOOK  SHOP  IN 
PHILADELPHIA. 


Benjamin   Franklin.  159 

would  now  and  then  give  way  to  temptations  of 
various  kinds.  But  he  was  continually  trying  to 
improve,  and  was  always  ready  to  help  other  per 
sons  by  giving  good  advice,  if  he  could  do  no 
more. 

He  knew  that  every  household  had  an  almanac, 
and  he  resolved  to  publish  one  better  than  any 
that  had  appeared.  In  1732,  when  he  was  twenty- 
six  years  old,  he  issued  the  first  copy  of  "  Poor 
Richard's  Almanac,"  which  continued  to  be  pub 
lished  annually  for  twenty-five  years. 

The  almanac  professed  to  be  edited  by  one  Rich 
ard  Saunders,  but  every  one  knew  that  Benjamin 
Franklin  was  the  real  editor.  It  did  not  differ 
much  in  plan  from  other  almanacs  except  that  every 
number  had  wise  sayings  scattered  throughout  the 
calendar. 

These  sayings  were  full  of  homely  wisdom,  and 
were  such  as  to  encourage  thrift  and  industry. 
Many  of  them  have  become  proverbs,  and  it  is 
impossible  to  tell  how  much  influence  they  have  had 
upon  the  American  people. 

Here  are  some  of  these  wise  and  witty  sayings : 
"  It  is  hard  for  an  empty  bag  to  stand  upright." 
"  God  helps  them  that  help  themselves."  "  Three 
removes  are  as  bad  as  a  fire."  "  One  to-day  is 
worth  two  to-morrows." 

"  Early  to  bed  and  early  to  rise 
Makes  a  man  healthy,  wealthy,  and  wise." 


160          History  of  the  United  States. 


As  Franklin  continued  to  prosper  in  his  own 
affairs  he  began  to  think  of  the  public  welfare, 
and  the  improvements  he  suggested  or  set  on  foot 
are  almost  numberless.  He  succeeded  in  having 
the  streets  of  Philadelphia  paved ;  he  organized  the 
first  fire  company  to  put  out  fires ;  he  started  the 
Philadelphia  Library,  the  first  public  library  in 

America,  and  it  is  still 
flourishing ;  he  started 
also  the  American  Philo 
sophical  Society. 

Wood  was  the  fuel  in 
general  use  in  Franklin's 
time  and  there  was  great 
waste  in  burning  it  in 
the  wide,  open  fireplaces 
then  common  in  the 
houses.  To  lessen  this 
waste,  Franklin  invented 
what  he  called  the  "  Pennsylvania  Fireplace."  This 
invention  was  a  successful  one,  and  the  Franklin 
fireplace,  as  it  is  now  called,  is  still  used. 

To  show  the  benefit  of  mineral  fertilizers,  "he 
wrote  in  a  field  on  the  roadside,  in  large,  broad 
letters,  with  powdered  plaster  of  Paris,  *  This  has 
been  plastered,'  and  soon  the  brilliant  green  of  the 
letters  carried  the  lesson  to  every  passer-by." 

The  scientific  world  was  much  interested  in  elec 
tricity,  but  nobody  knew  very  much  about  it.  A 


FRANKLIN'S  MODEL  OF  THE  PENNSYL 
VANIA  FIREPLACE. 

Now  owned  by  the  American  Philosophical 
Society. 


Benjamin  Franklin.  161 

friend  in  London  sent  Franklin  some  apparatus, 
with  which  he  experimented  a  great  deal ;  and,  as 
his  custom  was,  he  carefully  noted  down  everything 
he"  observed. 

He  became  sure  that  lightning  and  electricity 
are  similar,  and  that  thunder  clouds  are  full  of  elec 
tricity.  To  prove  that  his  opinion  was  correct,  he 
made  a  kite  out  of  a  silk  handkerchief,  and  put  a 
piece  of  sharpened  wire  on  the  top  of  the  kite. 
The  string  of  the  kite  was  hemp,  except  where  he 
held  it,  and  that  part  was  silk.  At  the  end  of  the 
string  was  an  iron  key. 

He  felt  sure  that,  if  lightning  and  electricity  were 
the  same  thing,  the  iron  wire  would  attract  the  elec 
tricity,  which  would  then  come  down  the  string,  and 
if  he  touched  the  key  there  would  be  a  spark,  and 
a  shock  of  electricity. 

He  was  so  fearful  that  his  experiment  would  fail, 
that  he  took  with  him  only  his  son,  a  young  man 
of  twenty-two,  and  chose  the  night-time  for  his 
experiment.  He  flew  the  kite,  some  thunder 
clouds  passed  over  it,  and  he  touched  the  key,  but 
there  was  no  spark.  Just  as  he  was  beginning  to 
doubt  his  success,  he  saw  the  fibres  of  the  string 
rise  up ;  again  he  touched  the  key  with  his  hand ; 
he  now  saw  a  spark  and  received  a  shock.  He 
presently  drew  in  his  kite  and  went  into  the  house, 
satisfied  that  he  had  proved  his  case. 

Franklin  gained  world-wide  fame  as  a  philosopher. 

12 


1 62          History  of  the  United  States. 

Yale  and  Harvard  gave  him  the  degree  of  master 
of  arts;  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Royal 
Society  in  London,  and  later,  three  universities  in 
Great  Britain  gave  him  the  honorary  degree  of  doc 
tor  of  laws,  so  that  he  was  thenceforth  known  as 
Dr.  Franklin. 

He  had  been  so  successful  in  his  business  that 
he  practically  retired  at  the  age  of  forty-two,  in 
tending  to  devote  himself  to  study  and  research ; 
but  he  was  so  useful  a  man  that  his  fellow-citizens 
would  not  allow  him  to  remain  in  retirement.  For 
more  than  forty  years  longer,  until  old  age  pre 
vented,  he  was  continuously  in  the  service  of  his 
country. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  legislature ;  he  was 
sent  to  treat  with  the  Indians;  he  was  made  post 
master-general  of  the  colonies.  When  trouble 
began  between  France  and  England,  he  was  sent 
to  a  convention  at  Albany,  in  1754,  and  there  pro 
posed  a  plan  for  the  union  of  all  the  colonies  in 
America. 

When  the  province  of  Pennsylvania  needed 
somebody  to  look  after  her  interests  in  England, 
Franklin  was  selected,  and  remained  in  England 
five  years.  He  had  been  at  home  scarcely  two  years 
when  he  was  sent  a  second  time,  and  remained 
nearly  seven  years. 

England  had  fought  with  France  in  the  New 
World  and  had  conquered,  gaining  all  Canada.  Eng- 


Benjamin  Franklin.  163 

land  having  found  out  during  the  conflict  how  rich 
and  how  strong  the  colonies  had  become,  resolved 
to  tax  them.  The  money  raised  by  taxation  was 
to  be  spent  in  America  for  the  benefit  of  the  colonies, 
but  the  Americans  objected  to  paying  taxes  which 
they  had  no  voice  in  imposing. 

Franklin  did  all  that  he  could  to  prevent  the  pas 
sage  of  the  "Stamp  Act,"  in  1765.  After  it  was 
passed,  he  hastened  its  repeal  by  testifying  to  the 
determination  of  his  countrymen  never  to  pay  the 
tax. 

Franklin  returned  home;  and  the  day  after  his 
arrival  he  was  unanimously  elected  a  member  of 
the  Continental  Congress.  He  was  on  all  the  im 
portant  committees.  He  helped  to  draw  up  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  and  signed  it. 

The  United  States  greatly  desired  to  get  some  of 
the  European  countries  to  help  them  in  their  strug 
gle  against  England.  What  one  of  these  would  be 
more  likely  to  give  aid  than  France,  England's  tra 
ditional  enemy,  that  had  so  lately  been  compelled 
to  surrender  Canada? 

Who  could  be  more  suitable  to  send  than  Dr. 
Franklin  ?  Everybody  had  heard  of  him ;  he  had 
lived  a  number  of  years  in  England,  and  knew 
the  English  well,  while  no  one  knew  the  Americans 
better.  Few  could  speak  more  intelligently  on 
the  subject  than  he.  So,  at  the  age  of  seventy,  a 
period  of  life  when  many  men  would  have  excused 


1 64          History  of  the   United  States. 

themselves,  he  went  abroad  again  in  behalf  of  his 
country. 

In  nothing  did  Franklin  show  his  good  sense 
more  than  in  the  simplicity  of  his  dress  and  man 
ners.  It  was  the  fashion  to  wear  very  showy  clothes ; 
he  wore  a  brown  suit,  simply  made ;  it  was  the  cus 
tom  for  gentlemen  to  wear  wigs ;  Franklin  wore  no 
wig,  but  appeared  in  his  own  gray  hair ;  most  gen 
tlemen  wore  swords ;  Franklin  wore  no  sword,  and 
his  only  weapon  was  a  walking-stick. 

He  was  enthusiastically  received  by  the  French 
people,  and,  later,  by  the  French  government.  In 
time  he  was  able  to  persuade  France  to  send  money 
to  America.  He  helped  to  make  a  treaty  in  which 
France  recognized  the  United  States  as  an  inde 
pendent  power,  and  promised  to  send  men  and  ships 
to  aid  the  new  nation. 

It  is  impossible  to  over-estimate  the  services  of 
Franklin  to  the  United  States  at  this  period.  When 
the  war  came  to  an  end,  he  was  one  of  the  three 
men  who  arranged  the  treaty  with  England  in  which 
the  independence  of  the  colonies  was  acknowl 
edged. 

At  last  Franklin,  now  an  old  man  in  his  eightieth 
year,  was  released  from  public  service.  He  suffered 
much  from  gout  and  other  ailments.  When  the 
king  of  France  learned  that  it  was  painful  to  Frank 
lin  to  ride  in  a  carnage,  the  monarch  sent  one  of  the 
queen's  litters,  in  which  the  old  doctor  was  carried, 


Benjamin  Franklin.  165 

by  easy  stages,  to  the  seaport  where  he  was  to  em 
bark.  The  king  gave  him  his  miniature  portrait, 
surrounded  with  four  hundred  diamonds. 


FRANKLIN'S  GRAVE. 


A  great  crowd  welcomed  Franklin  on  his  return 
to  Philadelphia.  His  health  was  much  improved  by 
the  sea  voyage  ;  and  now  the  citizens  of  Pennsylvania 


1 66          History  of  the  United  States. 

elected  him  president  of  the  state.  He  was  re- 
elected  twice,  and  he  would  have  been  chosen  for 
the  office  a  fourth  time  had  he  not  positively  refused 
to  be  a  candidate. 

His  last  public  service  was  as  a  member  of  the 
convention  which  prepared  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States.  He  lived  to  see  Washington  Presi 
dent,  and  the  new  government  in  successful  opera 
tion.  He  died  in  1790,  and  it  is  said  that  twenty 
thousand  persons  were  at  his  funeral.  He  is  buried, 
by  the  side  of  his  wife,  in  the  old  churchyard,  on 
the  corner  of  Fifth  and  Arch  streets,  Philadelphia. 
A  simple,  flat  stone  marks  their  resting-place. 


OUTLINE. 

Benjamin  Franklin  was  born  in  Boston,  Massachusetts, 
1706.  He  was  taken  from  school  when  he  was  ten  years 
old  and  put  in  his  father's  soap  and  candle  shop.  He  was 
apprenticed  to  his  brother,  a  printer,  and  became  an  excel 
lent  printer.  He  ran  away  and  went  to  Philadelphia.  He 
entered  a  printing-office.  Went  to  London.  Returned  to 
Philadelphia.  Was  thrifty  and  industrious.  Did  much 
for  the  public  welfare.  Became  one  of  the  foremost 
citizens  of  America.  Helped  to  draw  up  the  Declara 
tion  of  Independence.  Was  sent  to  represent  the 
United  States  at  Paris.  Discovered  that  electricity  and 
lightning  were  the  same.  He  was  of  great  service  to  his 
country. 


Benjamin  Franklin.  1 67 

Tell  the  story  of  Franklin's  youth;  how  he  ran  away  from 
Boston. 

Tell  the  story  of  his  journey  to  Philadelphia,  and  his  arrival. 

Tell  the  story  of  his  early  years  in  Philadelphia. 

Tell  how  he  gained  a  reputation  for  industry. 

Describe  "  Poor  Richard's  Almanac." 

What  did  he  do  for  Philadelphia? 

Tell  the  story  of  his  kite  experiment. 

Tell  how  he  served  his  state  and  country. 

Tell  about  his  service  in  France. 

Give  an  account  of  his  later  years. 


GEORGE   WASHINGTON.  — THE   FRENCH   AND 
INDIAN   WAR. 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON  was  born  at  Bridge's  Creek, 
in  Westmoreland  County,  Virginia,  on  the  226. 
of  February,  1732.  Augustine  Washington,  his 
father,  was  an  old-time  Virginia  planter,  and  lived 
in  an  old-time  Virginia  house.  The  house  was  a 


BIRTHPLACE  OF  WASHINGTON. 

The  house  is  no  ionger  standing;  its  site  is  marked  by  a  monument. 

wooden  one.  It  had  four  rooms  on  the  ground 
floor,  and  an  attic  with  a  long,  sloping  roof;  and 
there  was  a  huge  brick  chimney  at  each  end. 
This  house  was  burned  down  when  George  was 
about  three  years  old,  and  the  family  moved  to 


George  Washington.  169 

another  plantation  on  the  Rappahannock  River, 
nearly  opposite  Fredericksburg.  Here  the  youth 
ful  days  of  Washington  were  passed,  and  here,  when 
he  was  about  eleven  years  old,  the  father  died,  leav 
ing  his  young  family  to  the  care  of  his  widow, 
Mary  Washington.  She  was  an  able,  sensible,  strong- 
willed  woman,  and  admirably  fulfilled  her  trust. 

In  the  Virginia  of  those  days,  the  roads  were  few 
and  bad.  Most  of  the  inhabitants  lived  near  the 
rivers,  and  for  travelling  used  boats,  or  rode  horse 
back. 

There  were  no  stage-coaches  or  other  means  for 
public  travel.  The  inns  were  few  and  uncomforta 
ble,  but  the  planters  were  so  hospitable  that  a 
respectable  traveller  could  always  count  on  a  warm 
welcome  in  some  private  house;  in  return  for  his 
entertainment,  the  hosts  would  count  themselves 
favored  in  being  able  to  learn  the  news. 

Such  visitors  were  all  the  more  welcome  because 
the  mail  came  only  once  in  two  weeks  from  the 
North,  and  was  sent  but  once  a  month  to  the  South. 
There  was  no  newspaper  published  in  Virginia  till 
four  years  after  Washington  was  born. 

The  life  of  a  Virginia  planter  was,  in  many  ways, 
the  life  of  an  English  nobleman.  He  was  lord  of 
large  estates ;  in  the  centre,  or  perhaps  near  the 
river,  was  his  mansion.  Close  by  it  were  the  various 
out-buildings,  the  stables,  and  the  negro  quarters, 
which  looked  like  a  little  village.  Surrounding  this 


170          History   of  the   United   States. 

group  of  buildings  were  broad  acres  of  grain,  pas 
tures,  meadow  lands,  and  large  fields  of  tobacco. 

Almost  every  plantation  bordered  on  a  river  and 
had  a  landing  or  wharf.  Here  the  vessels  from 
other  parts  of  the  colony  and  from  different  places 
in  America,  but  more  often  from  England,  would 
come  for  tobacco,  the  great  staple  export  of  Vir- 


A  SOUTHERN  HOMESTEAD. 

From  a  photograph. 

ginia.  These  vessels  would  bring  for  exchange 
household  goods  and  supplies  of  all  kinds.  The 
arrival  of  such  a  vessel  was  a  great  event  to  those 
who  lived  on  a  plantation. 

The  negro  slaves  formed  fully  half  the  popula 
tion,  and  were,  on  the  whole,  kindly  treated ;  there 
were  white  servants  also,  who,  in  order  to  come  to 
the  New  World,  had  sold  themselves  for  a  term  of 
years.  Others  among  the  white  servants  were  con 
victs,  banished  from  England  by  the  authorities. 

There  were  in  the  colony  a  few  traders,  as  well 


George  Washington.  171 

as  some  small  farmers,  whose  great  ambition  was 
to  become  large  planters.  The  economical  working- 
man  of  New  England  and  the  thrifty  mechanic  of 
the  Middle  Colonies  were  almost  unknown  in  Vir 
ginia,  and  in  the  other  southern  colonies.  Each 
large  planter  had  his  own  mechanics,  the  most  intel 
ligent  negro  men  being  trained  as  blacksmiths,  car 
penters,  masons,  etc.  There  were  very  few  schools, 
hardly  any,  in  fact,  deserving  the  name,  and  the  Col 
lege  of  William  and  Mary  at  Williamsburg,  founded 
in  1692,  had  not  prospered.  The  sons  of  the  rich 
planters  were  taught  by  the  clergymen  of  the  par 
ish,  or  by  a  tutor  in  the  family,  and  were  often  sent 
to  England  and  educated  at  the  great  schools  and 
universities  there. 

Indeed,  with  almost  no  commerce,  little  trade 
except  in  tobacco,  and  little  legal  business,  there 
was  not  much  demand  for  education ;  knowledge 
of  men  and  things  was  considered  of  more  value 
than  knowledge  of  books.  The  Virginian  of  the 
upper  class  was  a  hearty,  athletic,  independent 
man. 

Such  a  man,  of  course,  could  have  no  spur  to  lit 
erary  ambition ;  the  distinction  he  sought  was  that 
which  came  from  serving  in  war  or  in  politics. 
The  rich  planters  had  much  time  on  their  hands, 
and  many  of  them  devoted  their  leisure  to  fishing, 
fox-hunting,  horse-racing,  and  cock-fighting. 

It  was  fortunate  for  Washington  that  he  was  a 


172  History  of  the  United  States. 

younger  son,  and  that  he  was  in  moderate  circum 
stances  during  the  early  years  of  his  life. 

He  early  went  to  an  "  old-field  school,"  l  taught  by 
the  sexton  of  the  parish,  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Hobby.  Washington,  after  his  father's  death,  went 
to  live  with  his  half-brother,  Augustine,  so  that  he 
might  go  to  a  better  school.  He  was  taught  no 
other  language  than  English,  but  his  instruction  in 
arithmetic,  geometry,  and  surveying  was  excellent. 
He  was  a  good  student,  and  at  the  same  time  an 
active,  strong  boy,  fond  of  athletic  games  and  very 
successful  in  them. 

While  at  school  he  had  a  great  longing  to  go  to 
sea.  He  had  often  seen  the  ships  with  their  cargoes 
of  foreign  goods  at  the  riverside,  and  had  watched 
them  while  they  were  being  loaded  with  tobacco  for 
England,  and  he  thought  that  life  on  shipboard 
would  be  a  fine  thing.  His  mother  had  almost 
yielded  to  his  wish,  but  her  brother  advised  so 
strongly  against  the  plan  that  it  was  given  up,  and 
George  returned  to  school. 

He  was  a  thoughtful  lad.  Before  he  was  fifteen 
years  old  he  had  copied  out,  in  round  and  boyish 
but  beautifully  regular  handwriting,  over  one  hun 
dred  rules  in  regard  to  behavior  and  good  morals. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  he  tried  to  follow  many  of 
them.  "  The  chief  thought  that  runs  through  all 

1  Schoolhouses  were  often  built  in  fields  which  were  so  worn  out  by 
continual  crops  that  nothing  could  be  grown  in  them. 


George  Washington.  173 

these  rules  is  to  practise  self-control,  and,  from  what 
we  know  of  the  boy  and  man,  few  have  been  more 
successful  in  the  practice  of  this  virtue." 

He  left  school  at  fifteen,  and  went  to  live  with 
his  eldest  half-brother,  Lawrence,  who  had  built  a 
fine  house  on  high  ground  overlooking  the  Potomac 
River.  Lawrence  had  named  the  estate  Mount 


MOUNT  VERNON. 


Vernon,  after  the  English  admiral  under  whom 
he  had  served  in  Europe. 

Lawrence  Washington,  the  elder  by  fourteen 
years,  became  warmly  attached  to  his  young  brother. 
Lawrence  had  married  into  the  Fairfax  family. 

Lord  Fairfax,  who  had  inherited  immense  estates 
in  Virginia,  came  to  live  in  the  colony.  He  was 
now  about  sixty  years  old.  He  was  a  well-educated 
man,  had  seen  much  of  the  world,  was  a  keen  ob- 


174          History  of  the  United  States. 

server,  and  altogether  was  a  fine  specimen  of  an 
English  nobleman.  He,  too,  became  very  fond  of 
the  earnest,  active,  thoughtful  boy,  and  soon  had 
the  opportunity  to  be  of  great  service  to  him. 

Nothing  shows  us  the  real  George  Washing 
ton  so  well  as  the  fact  that  two  men,  who  were 
experienced  in  the  world,  enjoyed  the  companion 
ship  of  this  youth  of  sixteen,  and  loved  and  trusted 
him. 

Lord  Fairfax  had  vast  estates  in  an  almost  untrod 
den  wilderness  beyond  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains. 
These  lands  had  never  been  surveyed.  To  Wash 
ington  Lord  Fairfax  intrusted  the  task  of  surveying 
these  estates  and  fixing  their  boundaries. 

The  lad  of  sixteen,  in  company  with  a  brother-in- 
law  of  Lawrence  Washington  and  a  few  attendants, 
started  in  the  early  spring  of  1 748  'on  a  trip  up  the 
Shenandoah  Valley. 

They  slept  in  tents,  or  in  settlers'  huts,  or  on  the 
ground  under  the  open  sky.  They  swam  the  rivers, 
pushed  through  the  forests,  and  climbed  the  moun 
tains.  At  one  time  they  came  upon  a  band  of 
Indians  on  the  war-path,  and  watched  one  of  their 
wild  war-dances  around  the  camp-fire. 

When  Washington  returned  and  showed  his  sur 
veys,  Lord  Fairfax  was  greatly  pleased  with  the 
clearness  and  accuracy  with  which  the  work  had 
been  done,  and  secured  for  his  young  friend  the 
position  of  public  surveyor.  This  was  of  great  ad- 


George  Washington.  175 

vantage  to  Washington,  for  it  gave  him  regular 
work. 

He  followed  this  business  for  three  years.  It  was 
a  rough  life.  He  spent  much  time  on  the  frontier, 
where  there  were  few  settlements,  and  where  the 
danger  from  wild  animals  and  unfriendly  Indians  was 
great.  The  young  man  gained  experience,  and  be 
came  hardy,  self-reliant,  and  able  to  foresee  dangers 
and  to  meet  them. 

Young  as  he  was,  he  did  his  work  well.  His  sur 
veys  were  accepted  without  hesitation,  and  were 
never  questioned  afterward. 

He  thus  describes  his  life  in  a  letter  to  a  friend : 
"  Since  you  have  received  my  letter  of  October  last, 
I  have  not  slept  above  three  or  four  times  in  a  bed, 
but,  after  walking  a  good  way  all  the  day,  I  have 
lain  down  before  the  fire  upon  a  little  hay,  straw, 
fodder,  or  a  bearskin,  whichever  was  to  be  had,  with 
man,  wife,  and  children,  like  dogs  and  cats ;  and 
happy  is  he  who  gets  the  berth  nearest  the  fire." 

The  health  of  Lawrence  Washington  having 
failed,  he  went  to  Barbados,  in  the  West  Indies, 
in  the  hope  of  being  benefited,  and  took  his  brother 
George  with  him.  While  on  the  trip  George  had 
a  serious  attack  of  smallpox.  On  his  recovery 
the  brothers  returned  to  Virginia.  Less  than  six 
months  later  Lawrence  Washington  died,  leaving 
his  brother  George  the  guardian  of  his  daughter, 
and,  in  the  event  of  her  death,  heir  to  his  estates. 


176          History  of  the  United  States.. 

England  and  France  were  now  beginning  to 
struggle  for  the  possession  of  the  New  World. 
The  French,  following  the  St.  Lawrence  River 
and  the  Great  Lakes,  had  claimed  for  France  all 
the  country  south  of  those  waters  and  west  of  the 
Alleghanies.  They  had  found  how  rich  the  Ohio 
country  was,  and  by  making  friends  with  the 
Indians,  and  by  building  a  chain  of  forts,  they 
expected  to  make  good  their  claim.  Virginia,  also, 
claimed  most  of  this  territory,  saying  that  her 
charter  gave  her  all  the  country  as  far  as  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  Pennsylvania  claimed  part  of  it  as 
a  gift  of  King  Charles  to  William  Penn.  Massa 
chusetts,  Connecticut,  and  New  York,  also  had 
claims  under  their  charters. 

English  settlers  had  made  homes  near  the  Alle 
ghanies;  others  had  gone  around  the  mountains 
by  passing  through  western  New  York.  These 
English  settlers  had  no  intention  of  living  under 
French  rule  on  land  which  they  believed  to  be 
English  by  right. 

Governor  Dinwiddie  of  Virginia  sent  a  mes 
senger  to  the  French  to  warn  them  not  to  trespass 
on  Virginia  land ;  but  the  messenger  was  afraid 
not  only  of  the  French  but  also  of  the  Indians, 
and  turned  back  before  he  had  come  within  a 
hundred  miles  of  the  French  forts. 

The  governor  had  to  look  for  some  bolder  man. 
He  chose  George  Washington,  who  had  lately  been 


George  Washington. 


177 


YORK 


appointed  a  major  in  the  militia.  The  governor 
may  have  asked  advice  of  Lord  Fairfax,  but  it  was 
the  faithfulness  and  energy  of  the  young  surveyor 
that  caused  him  to  be  chosen  for  this  important 
service.  , 

Washington  was  not 
quite  twenty-two  when 
he  set  out  on  this  peril 
ous  journey.  He  had 
as  companions  a  skilled 
backwoodsman,  an  old 
Dutch  soldier,  and  some 
attendants.  It  was  nec 
essary  to  go  about  five 
hundred  miles  through 
forests,  over  mountains, 
and  across  rivers  and 
streams,  for  there  were 
no  roads,  except  narrow 
Indian  trails  which  often 
were  lost  in  the  wilder 
ness. 

In  due  time  the  letter  of  the  governor  was  deliv 
ered  to  the  French  commander  Of  course  the 
Frenchman  had  no  intention  of  giving  up  his  forts  or 
the  country  to  the  English.  But  he  wrote  a  polite 
reply,  and,  while  he  was  doing  this,  Washington 
sketched  the  fort,  and  learned  all  he  could  about  its 
strength,  its  supplies,  and  the  number  of  soldiers  in  it. 
'3 


ROUTE  OF  BRADDOCK'S  EXPEDITION. 


178          History  of  the  United  States. 

The  journey  back  was  more  exciting  than  the 
journey  out.  Washington  and  Gist,  one  of  his 
companions,  went  on  ahead  of  the  rest  with  an 
Indian  guide.  The  guide  proved  treacherous.  They 
caught  him  in  the  act  of  firing  on  them,  and  Gist 
would  have  shot  him,  but  Washington  would  not 
consent,  and  he  was  allowed  to  escape. 

Their  horses  gave  out  and  were  left  behind,  and 
Washington  and  Gist  went  on  afoot.  The  weather 
was  bitterly  cold,  for  it  was  now  the  middle  of  a 
stormy  December.  When  they  reached  the  Alle- 
ghany  River  they  had  to  make  a  raft  in  order  to 
get  across.  As  Washington  was  trying  to  push  the 
raft  through  the  water  his  pole  was  struck  by  a  cake 
of  ice  and  he  fell  into  the  river,  which  was  full  of 
floating  ice.  The  water  was  deep,  but  the  two  men 
managed  to  reach  an  island,  on  which  they  spent  the 
night  with  their  clothes  frozen  stiff. 

In  the  morning  they  walked  to  the  shore  on  the 
ice.  They  reached  the  settlements  in  safety,  told 
their  story,  and  delivered  the  French  commander's 
letter. 

It  was  now  clear  that  the  French  intended  to 
stay  where  they  were.  In  the  following  spring,  the 
governor  sent  out  a  small  force,  over  which  Wash 
ington  was  second  in  command.  On  this  expedi 
tion,  a  few  French  soldiers  were  surprised,  and  some 
of  them  were  taken  prisoners.  By  the  death  of  his 
superior  officer,  Washington  came  to  be  in  com- 


George  Washington. 


179 


mand,  and  built  a  small  fort,  which  he  named  Fort 
Necessity. 

Here  he  was  compelled  to  await  an  attack  by  the 
French.  His  force  was  largely  outnumbered  by 
the  attacking  party,  his  supply  of  powder  and  shot 


BRITISH  FOOTGUARD,  1745. 

From  Grant's  "  British  Battles  " 


FRENCH  SOLDIER. 

After  a  watercolor  sketch  in  the  Mas 
sachusetts  Archives.  Coat  red,  faced 
blue,  breeches  blue 


was  nearly  gone,  and  when  the  French  offered  to 
make  terms  he  felt  obliged  to  yield.  The  French 
said  that  if  the  English  would  leave  the  country 
and  promise  not  to  come  back  for  a  year  they 
might  go.  Washington  was  only  too  glad  to  accept 
these  honorable  terms. 


180          History  of  the  United  States. 

By  the  next  year  England  had  concluded  to 
attack  the  French  in  earnest,  and  sent  out  forces 
to  join  with  the  colonial  troops  in  making  a  grand 
effort  to  conquer  the  French. 

A  part  of  the  plan  was  to  attack  the  French 
forts  in  the  Ohio  country.  The  officer  in  com 
mand  of  this  expedition  was  General  Edward  Brad- 
dock.  He  was  a  brave  man,  but  he  knew  nothing 
about  fighting  in  the  forests  of  America.  He 
thought  that  the  French  and  Indians  should  be 
fought  as  men  fought  in  Europe.  Franklin,  in 
Philadelphia,  warned  him  against  surprises  and 
the  Indian's  way  of  fighting,  but  Braddock  said 
to  himself :  "  What  can  a  plain  citizen  like  Frank 
lin  tell  an  old  soldier  like  me  about  fighting  ? " 

Braddock  heard  of  Washington's  skill  and  experi 
ence,  and  offered  him  a  position  on  his  staff,  which 
was  gladly  accepted.  The  march  was  made  slowly, 
but  with  safety,  until  the  troops  came  within  a  few 
miles  of  Fort  Duquesne,  which  the  French  had 
built.  Suddenly,  musket  shots  were  heard  in  front, 
and  yells  and  Indian  war-whoops  startled  the  British 
troops. 

Washington  begged  Braddock  to  order  his  sol 
diers  into  the  woods,  so  that  each  man  might  get 
behind  a  tree,  and  thus  fight  the  Indians  in  their 
own  fashion.  Braddock  refused,  for  that  was  not, 
in  his  opinion,  the  right  way  to  fight. 

The    troops    were    soon    panic-stricken    by   the 


George  Washington. 


18 


shots  and  yells  of  an  almost  unseen  foe;  Brad- 
dock  was  mortally  wounded,  and  his  men  fled  in 
the  wildest  confusion.  If  it  had  not  been  for  Wash 
ington  and  the  Virginia  militia,  which  the  British 
general  had  thought  almost  beneath  contempt,  the 
rout  would  have  been  still  worse. 

Washington,  during  the   fight,  did    his  best  to 
rally   the    troops;    he    aimed   and  fired   a   cannon 


JBRADDOCK'S  FIELD. 

• 

himself;  he  was  everywhere  on  the  fatal  field,  ex 
posing  himself  regardless  of  danger.  He  had  two 
horses  shot  under  him,  and  four  bullets  passed  harm 
lessly  through  his  clothes.  The  Indians  thought 
that  he  bore  a  charmed  life. 

He  it  was  who  gathered  together  what  was  left  of 
the  army  and  conducted  the  retreat.  Though  this 
expedition  was  such  a  failure,  Washington  came  out 


1 82          History  of  the  United  States. 


of  it  with  a  higher  reputation  than  ever.  He  was 
made  commander  of  the  Virginia  forces,  and  for 
three  years  guarded  the  frontier  of  the  colony. 

This  expedition  was  only  one  incident  of  the  war. 
The  conflict  was  also  carried  on  in  other  parts  of  the 
country.  At  last  England  appointed  General  James 
Wolfe,  a  brave  man  and  a  skilful  officer,  to  lead  an 
expedition  against  Quebec,  the  great  stronghold  of 

the  French. 

Quebec  was  commanded 
by  the  Marquis  Montcalm, 
one  of  the  ablest  of  the 
French  officers.  The  town 
stands  on  a  high  cliff;  it  is 
protected  on  three  sides 
by  water;  on  one  side  are 
high  rocks  which  seem  well- 
nigh  inaccessible. 

Wolfe  almost  despaired 
of  taking  the  town,  but, 
hearing  of  a  path  which 
led  up  the  cliff,  he  deter 
mined  to  make  an  attempt  to  scale  the  heights. 
One  dark  night,  he  and  his  troops  floated  down 
the  river  with  the  tide,  and  landed  at  the  foot  of 
the  cliffs.  A  few  soldiers  climbed  the  path ;  they 
surprised  and  captured  the  French  sentinel  at  the 
top  before  he  could  give  the  alarm.  Soon  Wolfe's 
forces  were  on  the  heights,  ready  for  the  attack. 


GENERAL  JAMES  WOLFE. 

After  the  print  in  Entick's  '*  General 
History  of  the  Late  War." 


George  Washington.  183 

Montcalm  was  amazed  when  he  learned  of  Wolfe's 
feat.  In  the  battle  which  followed,  both  generals 
were  mortally  wounded.  As  Wolfe  fell,  pierced  by 
a  shot  in  his  breast,  he  heard  a  cry :  "  They  run ! 
they  run  !  "  "  Who  run  ? "  he  asked.  "  The  French," 
was  the  reply.  "  Now  God  be  praised,  I  die  in 
peace,"  he  said,  and  died.  Montcalm,  struck  down 


QUEBEC  IN  THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY. 

From  an  old  print. 


by  a  bullet,  said  to  the  surgeon :  "  How  long  shall 
I  survive  ?  "  u  Ten  or  twelve  hours,  perhaps  less," 
was  the  reply.  "  So  much  the  better ;  I  shall  not 
live  to  see  the  surrender  of  Quebec."  In  five  days 
the  town  surrendered.  The  war  dragged  on,  but 
France  was  conquered. 

In   the  treaty  of  peace  (1763),  France  gave   up 


184          History  of  the  United  States. 

to  England  all  her  possessions  in  America  as  far 
as  the  Mississippi,  except  two  small  islands  near 
Newfoundland,  to  be  used  as  fishing  stations.  All 
the  rest  of  the  lands  which  she  had  claimed  she 
gave  to  Spain. 

The  English  colonists  now  could  settle  where 
they  pleased  in  the  Ohio  country,  without  fear  of 
an  enemy  except  the  Indians. 

When  the  French  withdrew  from  the  Ohio  coun 
try,  Washington  had  the  pleasure  of  being  with 
the  British  forces  when  they  took  possession  of 
the  smoking  ruins  of  Fort  Duquesne,  which  now 
became  Fort  Pitt,  and  later,  Pittsburg. 

Before  the  close  of  the  war,  Washington  was 
married  to  a  charming,  wealthy  young  widow, 
Martha  Custis.  His  niece  died,  and  he  came  into 
possession  of  his  brother's  large  estates,  including 
Mount  Vernon,  which  was  henceforth  his  home. 
He  was  only  twenty-seven  years  old,  and  yet  he 
was  one  of  the  foremost  men  of  Virginia,  admired 
as  her  best  soldier,  and  respected  by  all. 

Whatever  Washington  did  he  did  well.  He 
became  the  most  successful  planter  in  Virginia. 
Of  course,  like  all  other  rich  men  in  the  colony,  he 
had  slaves,  but  they  were  contented,  and  he  never 
sold  one  of  them. 

As  his  surveys  made  in  his  youth  were  unques 
tioned,  so  now,  when  his  name  was  seen  on  a  barrel 
or  a  bag  of  flour  or  on  a  hogshead  of  tobacco,  every- 


George  Washington.  185 

body  knew  that  the  flour  or  tobacco  was  exactly 
what  it  should  be. 

He  was  fond  of  outdoor  exercise,  and  he  often 
went  fox-hunting  with  his  neighbors.  For  this 
recreation  he  would  dress  in  a  blue  coat,  scarlet 
waistcoat,  buckskin  breeches,  and  a  velvet  cap. 

When  a  youth  he  is  said  to  have  thrown  a  stone 
across  the  Rappahannock  River,  where  nobody  had 
done  it  before  and  nobody  has  done  it  since.  He 
was  six  feet  two  inches  tall,  wore  a  number  eleven 
shoe,  and  his  gloves  had  to  be  made  especially  for 
him,  his  hands  were  so  large.  He  kept  his  strength, 
for,  when  he  was  forty,  he  threw  an  iron  bar  to  an 
almost  incredible  distance ;  and  when  he  was  in  the 
Revolutionary  Army  he  once  picked  up  the  poles 
and  canvas  of  his  tent,  arid  threw  them  into  the 
camp  wagon  with  ease.  This  was  usually  the  work 
of  two  men. 


OUTLINE. 

George  Washington  was  the  son  of  a  Virginia  planter. 
He  received  a  limited  education.  Became  a  skilled  sur 
veyor.  Was  sent  on  important  missions  to  the  French. 
Was  aide  to  General  Braddock  during  the  French  and 
Indian  War.  The  French  were  defeated,  and  England 
gained  the  vast  western  country  to  the  Mississippi  River. 
Whatever  Washington  did  he  did  well.  He  was  strong 
and  athletic. 


1 86          History  of  the  United  States. 

When  and  where  was  George  Washington  born? 

Describe  the  Virginia  of  those  days. 

Tell  the  story  of  Washington's  school  days. 

Tell  the  story  of  his  surveying  trip  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley. 

Describe  the  beginning  of  the  conflict  between  England  and 
France  in  the  New  World.  - 

Tell  the  story  of  Washington's  expedition  to  the  French  fort. 

Tell  the  story  of  Braddock's  defeat. 

Tell  the  story  of  the  capture  of  Quebec. 

Describe  Washington's  marriage,  his  personal  character,  his 
bodily  strength,  and  personal  appearance. 


THE   REVOLUTION. 

DURING  the  French  and  Indian  War  the  colonists 
learned  how  strong  they  were.  The  war  also  made 
them  better  acquainted  with  each  other,  because 
the  men  of  the  middle  and  eastern  colonies  had 
stood  side  by  side  in  battle.  Moreover  it  made 
them  feel  that  the  French  territory  could  not  have 
been  won  without  their  aid.  It  helped  to  unite  the 
colonies  as  nothing  else  had  been  able  to  do.  It 
showed  them  that  they  had  common  interests,  and 
even  made  some  of  them  think  that  they  could 
get  along  without  England. 

They  laid  heavy  taxes  upon  themselves,  to  pay  the 
expenses  of  their  own  troops,  and  did  it  willingly; 
but  when  England  began  to  tax  them  they  objected. 

They  claimed  that,  as  they  were  not  represented 
in  the  English  Parliament,  that  body  had  no  right 
to  tax  them.  Many  of  the  people  of  England  could 
have  made  a  similar  claim,  for  Parliament  was 
elected  by  a  small  number  of  voters,  and  many 
large  towns  were  unrepresented.  But  the  Ameri 
cans  felt  that,  if  their  money  was  to  be  spent  they 
should  have  some  voice  in  deciding  what  should  be 
done  with  it. 

187 


1 88          History  of  the  United  States. 


There  were  many  Englishmen  who  thought  that 
the  Americans  were  right.  The  English  govern 
ment,  however,  thought  differently,  and  in  1765 
Parliament  passed  the  Stamp  Act,  a  law  which 
required  all  law  papers,  all  agreements,  all  marriage 
certificates,  and  many  other  papers,  in  order  to  be  of 
any  use,  to  be  written  on  paper  which  had  a  certain 
value  stamped  upon  it.  These  sheets  of  stamped 


STAMPS  USED  IN  1765. 

paper  varied  in  value  from  one  cent  to  sixty  dollars, 
or  even  more. 

When  the  Americans  heard  of  this  plan  of  taxa 
tion  they  were  very  indignant.  They  refused  to 
buy  any  of  the  stamped  paper,  and  no  one  dared  to 
keep  it  for  sale.  The  English  government  could 
not  force  the  people  to  buy  what  they  did  not  want, 
and  so  the  plan  failed.  Parliament  now  thought  it 
wise  to  repeal  the  law,  but  declared  at  the  same 
time  that  it,  was  right  to  tax  the  colonies.  There 
was  great  joy  in  America  and  in  England  when  the 


The  Revolution. 


189 


repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act  was  known.  The  joy  did 
not  last  long,  for  Parliament  soon  found  another 
way  to  tax  the  colonists.  It  was  said  "  The  Ameri 
cans  are  very  fond  of  tea.  They  cannot  grow  it  in 
America,  and  they  will  have  to  pay  any  tax  we 


TbiMfcn  OQdtw.  1165                                           THE                                                NUHB  u^ 

PENNSYLVANIA  JOURNAL; 

AN  D 

WEEKLY  ADVEKTISER. 

EXP  I  R  1  N  G  .-    In  Hopes  of  a  Retcrrectionto  LffE  a^aiti. 

Q  am  forry  to  be 
obliged    to    ac 
quaint  my  read 
ers  that  as  the 
Statnp     Act    is 
feared    to    be    obligatory 
upon  us  after  the  firft  of 
November  ensuing    (The 
Fatal   To-morrow),  The 
publif  her  of  this  paper,  un 
able  to  bear  the  Burthen, 
has  thought  it  expedient 
to  flop  awhile,  in  order  ta 

deliberate,   whether  any 
methods  can  be  found  to, 
elude  the  chains  forged  for 
us,  and  efcape  the  infup- 
portable  f  lavery,  which  it 
is   hoped,   from   the   laft 
repreientation  now  made 
againft  that  act,  may  be 
effected.     Mean  while  I 
muft    earneftly    Requeft 
every    individual    of    my 
Subfcribers,      many     of 
whom  have  been  long  be 

hind     Hand,    that     they 
would    immediately    dif- 
charge    their    refpective 
Arrears,  that   I   may  be 
able,  not  only  to  fupport 
myfelf  during  the  Inter 
val,  but  be  better  prepar 
ed  to  proceed  again  with 
this  Paper  whenever  an 
opening  for  that  purpofe 
appears,    which    I    hope 
will  be  foon. 
WILLIAM  BRADFORD. 

A  COLONIAL  NEWSPAPER. 
A  fac-simile  about  one-third  the  size  of  the  original, 

choose  to  put  upon  it."  So  a  tax  of  threepence, 
about  six  cents,  was  laid  upon  every  pound  of  tea 
that  should  be  brought  into  America. 

As  soon  as  the  Americans  heard  of  this,  they  said, 
"  We  will  not  drink  any  tea  that  comes  from  Eng- 


I  go          History  of  the  United  States. 

land  into  America."  When  vessels  having  tea  on 
board  reached  Boston  they  were  ordered  back,  but 
the  British  officers  refused  to  let  them  sail.  Then 
one  night  a  party  of  men,  dressed  as  Indians,  went 
on  board  the  ships,  hoisted  up  from  the  holds  of  the 
vessels  more  than  three  hundred  chests  of  tea,  broke 
them  open,  and  emptied  the  tea  over  the  sides  of  the 


THE  BOSTON  TEA-PARTY. 

From  an  old  print. 


ships  into  the  water.     This  performance  was  called 
"  The  Boston  Tea-party." 

When  tea  ships  went  to  Philadelphia  and  New 
York,  the  captains  were  not  allowed  to  put  the  tea  on 
shore.  At  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  the  tea  was 
landed,  but  was  stored  in  damp  cellars,  so  that  it  soon 
spoiled.  At  Annapolis,  Maryland,  the  tea  was  burned. 


The  Revolution. 


191 


When  the  king  and  his  ministers  heard  of  these 
acts  of  violence  they  were  very  angry.  There  were 
only  two  courses  for  them  to  follow,  —  either  to 
repeal  the  law  or  to  try  to  enforce  obedience. 
Naturally  the  government  decided  upon  the  latter. 

Massachusetts  was  the  most  unruly  colony,  and 
Parliament  passed  several  laws  to  punish  her. 
One  of  the  laws  provided  that  no  ships  should 


CHARLESTON  IN  1780. 

After  a  drawing  by  Leitch. 

enter  or  leave  Boston  Harbor  until  the  town  should 
make  good  the  loss  of  the  tea,  and  agree  to  obey 
the  laws.  Another  law  took  away  several  of  the 
privileges  which  had  been  given  to  Massachusetts 
in  her  charter.  This  law  was  the  worst  of  all,  for, 
if  Parliament  could  change  the  charter  of  one 
colony,  it  could  change  the  charters  of  all,  and  the 
liberty  which  had  been  given  them  would  be  at  the 


192          History  of  the  United  States. 

mercy  of  a  government  in  which  the  colonists  had 
no  representation.  Another  law  gave  the  British 
government  the  right  to  quarter  troops  on  the 
colonists.1 

When  the  news  of  these  and  other  laws  reached 
America,  the  whole  country  was  stirred  up.  Meet 
ings  were  held  everywhere  to  protest  against  them. 

Meanwhile  the  people  of  Boston  began  to  suffer 
from  the  closing  of  their  port.  Help  came  from  all 
over  the  country  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  sent 
rice,  New  York  sent  wheat,  and  from  other  places 
came  various  kinds  of  provisions  and  also  money. 
On  the  day  on  which  the  law  was  to  go  into  effect 
the  bells  were  tolled  and  the  houses  were  hung  with 
black. 

In  Virginia,  Washington  presided  at  a  meeting 
where  it  was  resolved  not  to  use  anything  British 
until  the  rights  of  the  colonists  were  restored.  In 
every  one  of  the  colonies  such  meetings  were  held, 
and  similar  resolutions  were  passed. 

Men  and  women  wore  homespun  clothes,  and 
rather  than  use  anything  imported  from  England, 
drank  tea  made  of  the  leaves  of  raspberry  or  other 
plants,  such  as  sassafras  or  sage. 

The  British  government  had  sent  troops  to  Bos 
ton,  and  had  placed  them  under  the  command  of 
General  Gage,  the  military  governor  of  Massachu- 

1  To  quarter  troops  is  to  force  the  inhabitants  to  board  soldiers  in 
their  families. 


The  Revolution. 


193 


setts.  Already  the  colonies  felt  that  the  cause  of 
Massachusetts  was  the  cause  of  all,  and  that  it 
would  be  well  to  consult  together  as  to  what  was 
best  to  be  done. 

All  the  colonies,  except  Georgia,  whose  governor 
managed  to  prevent  it,  chose  men  to  go  to  Phila 
delphia  to  meet  and  con 
sider  the  whole  question. 
This  body  was  called  the 
Continental  Congress.  It 
met  in  Carpenters'  Hall, 
September  5,  1774. 

Each  colony  had  chosen 
some  of  its  best  men. 
Massachusetts  sent  John 
Adams  and  Samuel  Adams; 
Virginia,  George  Washing 
ton  and  Patrick  Henry ; 
New  York,  John  Jay; 
Pennsylvania,  John  Dickinson; 
John  Rutledge. 

The  Congress  prepared  addresses  setting  forth 
clearly  the  position  of  the  colonies,  and  threatening 
resistance  if  Parliament  and  the  king  did  not  yield. 
It  also  advised  that  no  British  goods  should  be 
imported  or  used. 

All  this  had  little  or  no  effect  on  the  king  and  his 
ministers.     They  resolved  to  force  the  Americans 
to  submit.     More  British  troops  had  been  sent  to 
14 


SAMUEL  ADAMS. 

After  the  portrait  by  Copley,  in  Boston 
Museum  of  Fine  Arts. 


South     Carolina, 


1 94          History  of  the  United  States, 


Boston,  and  it  needed  only  some  slight  trouble  to 
bring  on  war. 

The  course  followed  by  the  king  and  the  major 
ity  in  Parliament  was  opposed  by  some  of  the 
ablest  English  legislators,  such  as  Edmund  Burke 

and  William  Pitt,  and  also 
many  English  citizens,  but 
without  avail. 

General  Gage  in  Boston, 
hearing  that  the  Ameri 
cans  had  been  collecting 
powder,  shot,  and  muskets 
at  Concord,  about  twenty 
miles  away,  sent  out  se 
cretly  a  force  of  eight 
hundred  men  to  seize 
the  supplies.  The  Ameri 
cans  decided  to  send  Paul 
Revere  to  warn  the  two 
patriots,  Samuel  Adams  and  John  Hancock,  of  the 
danger. 

Signal  lanterns  were  hung  out  from  the  tower  of 
the  old  North  Church  in  Boston,  to  show  that  the 
soldiers  were  to  cross  the  harbor,  and  soon  alarm 
bells  and  swift  riders  were  waking  the  farmers  and 
minute-men.1 

As  Paul  Revere  galloped  along  the  road  to  Con- 

1  Minute-men :  so-called  because  they  were  to  be  ready  at  a  minute's 
notice. 


JOHN  HANCOCK. 

After  the  portrait  by  Copley  painted  in  1774 
in  Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts. 


The  Revolution. 


'95 


cord,  some  one  called  to  him,  "  You  are  making  too 
much  noise."  "  You'll  have  noise  enough  before  long," 
he  shouted  back  ;  "  the  regulars  are  coming  out." 

The  regulars  did  come 
out,  and  they  found  the 
whole  country  roused  and 
ready  for  them.  But  noth 
ing  was  done  until  Lex 
ington  was  reached.  There 
the  soldiers  found  a  body  of 
minute-men  drawn  up  on  the 
green  before  the  meeting 
house.  The  British  officer 
commanded  the  Americans 
to  disperse,  but  they  stood 
still.  Then  the  officer  ordered 
his  men  to  fire,  and  several 
of  the  Americans  were  killed,  THE  MINUTE  MAN" 

,  ,  ,       ,  From    the   statue  at  Concord,   Mass. 

and    OtherS    WOUnded.  The     inscription    on     the    pedestal 

The  soldiers  marched  on  to  , 

"  Here  on  the  rgth  of  April,  1775,  was 

Concord,  where  more  Ameri-     madeuthe  first  forcib!e  Distance  to 

British  aggression     On  the  opposite 

cans   were    drawn    up    at   a     bank  stood  the  Amencan  miiuia, 

here  stood  the  invading  army,  and 

bridge.     Again  there  was  fir-     °n  this  SP°I  the  first  °f  the  enemy 

&  &  m  fell  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution, 

ing.        Then     the     British,     haV-         which  gave   independence   to  these 

United  States.     In  gratitude  to  God 


and 


the  iove  Or  freedom  this 


monument  was  erected  A.D.  1836." 


ing    destroyed    some    stores, 

. 

started  on  their  return,  and 
all  along  the  road  from  Concord  to  Boston  they 
were  fired  upon  by  the  farmers  and  minute-men. 
who  were  behind  barns  and  houses  and  stone  walls. 


196          History  of  the  United  States. 


The  battles  of  Lexington  and  Concord  took  place 
on  the  iQth  of  April,  1775.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  the  war  between  the  colonies  and  the  mother 
country. 

The  Americans  soon  had  an  army  encamped 
before  Boston,  shutting  General  Gage  and  his  sol 
diers  within  the  city.  He  was  not  alarmed,  for  he 

did  not  think  that  the 
Yankee  farmers  would 
really  fight ;  but  he  soon 
saw  his  mistake. 

The  Americans  heard 
that  he  intended  to  take 
Charlestown,  a  village 
across  the  river  from  Bos 
ton,  and  they  resolved  to 
prevent  it.  They  left  Cam 
bridge  in  the  evening  of 
the  1 6th  of  June,  marched 
to  Charlestown,  and  began 
at  once  to  throw  up  fortifications  of  earth. 

Early  the  next  morning  the  British  were  amazed 
to  find  a  wall  of  earth  on  the  hill.  Twice  they  tried 
to  capture  the  works ;  twice  they  were  driven  back 
with  great  loss  of  life ;  a  third  time  they  were  suc 
cessful,  for  the  powder  of  the  Americans  had  given 
out,  and  they  were  forced  to  retire.  This  battle  is 
known  as  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  Though  the 
Americans  were  defeated,  it  showed  that  the  colo- 


PAUL  REVERE. 

After  the  picture  by  Gilbert  Stuart. 


The   Revolution. 


197 


nists  could  stand  up  against  the  regular  British 
troops.  The  news  of  what  had  been  done  inspired 
hope  throughout  the  land.  When  Washington 
heard  of  it  he  said  "  The  liberties  of  the  country 
are  safe." 


THE  COLONIES  IN  1776:  NORTHERN  SECTION. 

Meanwhile  a  second  congress  at  Philadelphia  had 
seen  that  there  must  be  war,  and  with  one  voice 
appointed  George  Washington  Commander-in-Chief 
of  the  army.  He  accepted  the  difficult  trust.  Under 
a  great  elm  tree  at  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  July 
3,  1775,  he  formally  took  command.  His  head- 


198          History  of  the   United  States. 

quarters  were  in  the  house  so  well  known  since  as 
the  home  of  the  poet  Longfellow. 

It  was  a  strange  looking  army  that  Washington 
found.  Supplies  were  scarce,  most  of  the  men  were 
without  uniforms,  and  they  were  wholly  unused  to 
military  order  and  discipline,  and  were  for  a  long 
time  very  unwilling  to  submit  to  necessary  rules. 
They  were,  however,  intelligent  men  and  brave 
patriots.  Out  of  such  material  as  this  was  Wash 
ington's  army  made  up,  but  with  it  he  forced  the 
British,  in  March,  1776,  to  leave  Boston. 

Washington  did  not  rest,  but  marched  his  army 
to  New  York,  where  he  knew  an  attack  would  be 
made.  He  reached  New  York  in  time,  but  was 
compelled  to  leave  the  city,  as  the  British  were 
greatly  superior  in  numbers  to  his  forces.  The 
Americans  were  defeated  on  Long  Island,  and 
Washington  was  forced  to  retreat  across  New  Jersey 
toward  Philadelphia. 

The  retreating  army  was  pursued  by  Lord  Corn- 
wallis,  the  British  general,  and  had  not  Washing 
ton,  with  wise  foresight,  secured  all  the  boats  on 
the  Delaware  River  for  miles  above  and  below 
Trenton,  the  British  would  have  followed  the 
Americans  into  Pennsylvania. 

In  the  meantime  the  Congress  in  Philadelphia 
had  decided  that  the  colonies  should  declare  their 
independence  of  the  mother  country.  On  the  4th 
of  July,  1776,  the  delegates  in  Congress  adopted 


The  Revolution. 


199 


2OO          History  of  the  United  States. 

the  Declaration  of  Independence,  proclaiming  the 
thirteen  colonies  free  and  independent.  The  name 
chosen  for  the  new  nation  was  the  United  States 
of  America. 

Washington's  retreat  from  New  York,  which 
took  place  about  six  months  after  independence 
had  been  declared,  was  most  discouraging  to  the 


FAC-SIMILE  OF  THE  FIRST  Two  PARAGRAPHS  OF  THE 
DECLARATION  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 

army  and  to  the  whole  country.  Washington  saw 
that  something  must  be  done.  He  did  not  dare  to 
attack  the  whole  British  army,  for  it  was  very  much 
larger  than  his  own.  He  resolved  to  attack  part  of 
it.  Trenton  was  held  by  Hessians,  German  troops 
whom  the  English  had  hired  to  fight  for  them. 
They  were  having  a  good  time  on  Christmas  night, 


The  Revolution. 


201 


1776.  It  was  stormy,  but  that  was  just  what  Wash 
ington  wished  for.  He  had  secretly  collected  a 
number  of  boats,  and  before  the  Hessians  dreamed 
of  what  was  coming,  he  crossed  the  river,  seized 
the  town,  took  a  thousand  prisoners,  and  returned 
to  Pennsylvania. 

A  few  days  later,  he  again  crossed  the  river,  and 
had    a    skirmish    with    Cornwallis,    who    had    been 


TABLE  AND  CHAIR  USED  AT  THE  SIGNING  OF  THE  DECLARATION  OF 
INDEPENDENCE. 

In  Independence  Hall,  Philadelphia. 

sent  to  attack  him.  The  night  following,  Wash 
ington  left  his  camp-fires  burning,  slipped  past  Corn 
wallis,  and  hastily  marched  upon  Princeton.  The 
first  that  Cornwallis  knew  of  Washington's  where 
abouts  was  the  booming-  of  cannon  behind  him. 

o 

Of  course,  Cornwallis  had  to  follow  to  protect  his 
supplies,  and  soon  most  of  New  Jersey  was  regained 
by  the  Americans. 


2O2          History  of  the  United  States. 

This  was  Washington's  great  campaign.  It  was 
fought  against  great  odds,  and  had  it  not  been 
successful,  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  the 
Revolution  would  have  failed. 

The  British  next  cast  their  eyes  upon  Philadel 
phia,  but,  being  unwilling  to  meet  Washington  in 
New  Jersey,  they  sent  their  army  around  by  sea  to 


VALLEY  FORGE. 

Washington  and  Lafayette  visiting  the  suffering  army.      After  the  painting  by  A.  Gibert. 

Chesapeake  Bay.  The  troops  were  disembarked  at 
Elkton,  near  the  head  of  the  bay,  and  marched 
toward  Philadelphia. 

Washington  fought  two  battles  to  keep  the  city 
from  falling  into  the  enemy's  hands,  but  was  de 
feated,  and  Philadelphia  was  taken. 

The  winter  of  1777-78,  a  bitterly  cold  one,  was 


The  Revolution. 


203 


spent  by  Washington's  army  at  Valley  Forge  on 
the  Schuylkill  River,  about  twenty  miles  from  Phil 
adelphia.  The  army  suffered  terribly  from  cold, 
hunger,  and  want  of  supplies,  but  Washington  did 
not  despair. 


THE  COLONIES  IN  1776:  SOUTHERN  SECTION. 

While  he  had  been  fighting  one  army  near  Phila 
delphia,  another  British  army  under  Burgoyne  was 
marching  down  from  Canada.  At  Saratoga  it  was 
beaten  by  the  Americans  under  General  Gates,  and 
Burgoyne  and  his  army  were  made  prisoners  of  war. 

This  great  victory  made  the  European    nations 


204          History  of  the  United  States. 

believe  that  the  colonists  were  going  to  succeed  after 
all.  Benjamin  Franklin,  before  this,  had  been  sent 
to  France  to  try  to  get  the  French  king  to  help  the 
United  States.  French  money  had  already  been 
sent  secretly,  but  it  was  not  until  after  the  victory  at 
Saratoga  that  the  French  government  made  a  treaty 
with  the  new  nation,  and  agreed  openly  to  help  the 
United  States  in  the  struggle  against  England. 

The  British  army  soon  left  Philadelphia,  for  it  was 
feared  that  a  French  fleet  might  take  New  York, 
which,  as  a  better  seaport,  was  of  great  value  to  the 
English.  The  winter  spent  in  Philadelphia  had  not 
made  the  troops  better  soldiers,  for,  while  the  poor 
fellows  in  the  American  army  at  Valley  Forge  had 
been  suffering  from  hunger  and  cold,  the  British 
officers  had  been  having  a  round  of  balls  and  amuse 
ments,  and  the  soldiers,  for  the  most  part,  had  had 
little  fighting  to  do.  Dr.  Franklin  said,  "  The  British 
have  not  taken  Philadelphia,  but  the  Philadelphians 
have  taken  the  British."  Washington  quickly  fol 
lowed  the  enemy,  and  the  armies  were  soon  very 
nearly  in  the  positions  they  had  held  two  years 
before. 

The  United  States  had  a  very  small  navy,  but  the 
officers  and  crews  were  brave  and  skilful.  John  Paul 
Jones  was  the  most  celebrated  of  these  officers.  On 
one  expedition  he  sailed  through  the  Irish  Channel, 
and  in  less  than  a  month,  destroyed  four  vessels, 
seized  a  fort  at  Whitehaven,  and  burned  the  ship- 


The  Revolution. 


205 


ping  in  the  harbor.     He  also  captured  a  prize,  and 
took  it  with  him  to  France. 

At  another  time,  off  Flamborough  Head,  on  the 
eastern  coast  of  England,  his  ship  Le  Bonhomme 
Richard,  fought  the  British  ship  Serapis.  The  two 
vessels  came  so  close  to  each  other,  that  Jones 
lashed  them  together.  A  desperate  conflict  took 
place.  The  Richard  was  so 
much  injured  that  the  Eng 
lish  captain  called  out  "  Have 
you  struck?  "  Jones  shouted 
back,  "  I  have  not  yet  begun 
to  fight."  The  Serapis  sur 
rendered,  but  Jones's  vessel 
was  so  injured  that  he  trans 
ferred  to  the  prize  everything 
that  was  possible.  He  had 
hardly  done  this  when  the 
Bonhomme  Richard  sank. 
These  are  only  some  of  the 
exploits  of  John  Paul  Jones. 

Most  of  the  naval  warfare  was  carried  on  by  priv 
ateers,  that  is  to  say,  private  vessels  licensed  to 
make  war  on  an  enemy.  There  were  several  hun 
dred  of  these  American  privateers,  and  the  damage 
that  they  inflicted  on  British  commerce  was  very 
great. 

The  war  dragged  on.  The  English  nation  was 
getting  tired  of  a  war  of  which  so  many  of  their 


PAUL  JONES. 

After  the  etching  by  A.  Varen. 


206          History  of  the  United  States. 


people  disapproved,  and  in  which  there  seemed  little 
prospect  of  final  success.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
American  army  was  so  poorly  supplied  with  food, 
clothing,  and  arms,  that  Washington  had  a  hard 
time  to  keep  his  men  together. 

Congress  failed  to  provide  money  with  which  to 
buy  supplies.  Robert  Morris,  a  patriotic  citizen  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  a  few  others,  helped  greatly  in 
this  trying  time,  by  borrowing  money  to  support  the 

starving  troops.  But  for 
this  and  the  personal  influ 
ence  of  Washington  over 
his  army  and  officers,  the 
American  army  might  have 
disbanded. 

About  this  time  came  an 


uneasiness  among  the  Amer 

icans.  This  was  the  treason  of  Benedict  Arnold. 
Arnold  had  taken  an  active  and  helpful  part  in  an 
expedition  against  Canada,  and  had  fought  bravely 
at  Saratoga,  where  he  was  severely  wounded.  In 
1778  he  was  placed  in  command  at  Philadelphia. 
While  in  that  city  he  married  the  daughter  of  a 
Tory,  as  those  who  sympathized  with  England  were 
called.  He  lived  extravagantly  and  ran  into  debt; 
he  was  accused  of  using  the  funds  of  the  army. 
He  was  tried  and  sentenced  to  be  reprimanded  by 
Washington.  Washington  did  this  as  mildly  as 


The  Revolution.  207 

possible,  and  afterward  gave  him  the  command  of 
West  Point,  a  fort  which  controlled  the  Hudson. 
But  Arnold's  pride  was  touched.  He  opened  corre 
spondence  with  Clinton,  the  British  general  in  New 
York,  and  agreed  to  surrender  the  fort  to  the 
British.  Major  Andre,  Clinton's  agent  in  this 
business,  was  captured  while  on  his  way  back  to 
New  York,  and  papers  in  Arnold's  handwriting 
were  found  upon  his  person.  The  plot  was  dis 
covered  ;  Andre  was  tried  by  courtmartial,  and  was 
hanged  as  a  spy.  Arnold  heard  of  Andre's  capture 
in  time  to  escape.  He  was  rewarded  by  the  British 
with  money  and  the  rank  of  brigadier-general.  He 
fought  against  his  countrymen,  and  at  the  end  of 
the  war  went  to  England,  but  was  everywhere  re 
garded  with  contempt. 

In  the  south,  the  English  had  an  army  so  much 
stronger  .than  the  American  forces,  that,  notwith 
standing  the  skill  and  bravery  of  such  officers  as 
Francis  Marion,  Thomas  Sumter,  Andrew  Pick- 
ens,  and  William  Washington,  the  Carolinas  fell 
under  British  control.  Against  Washington's 
advice,  Congress  sent  General  Gates  to  command 
the  American  army.  Gates  met  Cornwallis  at  Cam- 
den,  South  Carolina,  and  was  very  badly  defeated. 
Thinking  all  was  lost,  he  jumped  on  his  horse,  and 
never  stopped  in  his  flight  until  he  had  left  the 
battle-field  seventy  miles  behind  him. 

Congress  now  was  willing  to  take>  the  advice  of 


208          History  of  the  United  States. 


Washington,  and,  in  accordance  with  his  sugges 
tion,  General  Nathanael  Greene  was  sent  to  take 
the  place  of  Gates.  Greene  was  the  best  officer, 
next  to  Washington,  in  the  Continental  army. 
Greene  did  not  fight  much,  for  his  forces  were  weak, 
but  he  managed  to  get  the  British  army  into  such 
an  awkward  situation  that  Cornwallis  found  it  best 

to  leave  the  Carolinas; 
so  he  marched  into  Vir 
ginia,  and  encamped  on 
the  peninsula  of  York- 
town. 

Washington  now  saw 
that  the  time  had  come 
to  make  a  great  effort. 
He  therefore  left  the 
neighborhood  of  New 
York,  with  all  the  troops 
that  he  could  muster 
and  secretly  and  hastily 
marched  across  New  Jer 
sey,  Pennsylvania,  and  Delaware,  to  Elkton,  Mary 
land.  From  this  place  he  sent  the  greater  part  of 
his  troops  by  water  to  York  River,  Virginia.  He 
himself  hurried  thither  by  land,  halting  for  two  days 
at  his  beloved  Mount  Vernon,  which  he  had  not 
seen  for  six  years. 

Washington    had   persuaded    the  commander  of 
the  French  fleet  to  help  the  American  army.    Thus, 


GENERAL  NATHANAEL  GREENE. 

From  the  paintin^  by  Charles  Willson  Peale, 
1783- 


The  Revolution. 


209 


210  History  of  the  United  States. 

shut  in  by  sea  and  by  land,  Cornwallis  was  com 
pelled  to  surrender  to  the  combined  French  and 
American  forces.  It  was  a  great  victory,  and  every 
one  felt  that  it  decided  the  war. 

Though  it  was  two  years  before  peace  was 
declared,  no  battle  of  importance  was  fought  after 
Yorktown.  The  thirteen  colonies  had  won  their 


THE  STATE-HOUSE,  ANNAPOLIS. 

From  Scharf 's  "  History  of  Maryland." 

independence,  and  were  recognized  by  the  mother 
country  as  the   United  States  of  America. 

On  the  2Oth  of  December,  1783,  Washington 
went  to  Annapolis,  Maryland,  where  the  Continen 
tal  Congress  was  in  session,  to  resign  his  commis 
sion  as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  American  army. 
There,  in  the  hall  of  the  old  state-house,  a  building 
which  is  still  standing,  he  laid  down  the  charge 
he  had  accepted  more  than  eight  years  before  at 
Philadelphia. 


The  Revolution.  21 1 

He  said  in  his  short  address,  "  Having  finished 
the  work  assigned  me,  and  bidding  an  affection 
ate  farewell  to  this  august  body,  under  whose  order 
I  have  acted,  I  here  offer  my  commission  and  take 
leave  of  all  employments  of  public  life."  He  has 
tened  to  Mount  Vernon,  and  again  became  a  Virginia 
planter.  But  his  fellow-citizens  did  not  let  him 
remain  long  in  the  quiet  of  home  life. 

Shortly  before  the  end  of  the  Revolutionary  War 
the  states  of  the  Union  entered  into  an  agreement 
and  adopted  a  set  of  rules  known  as  the  "  Articles 
of  Confederation."  These  rules  were  intended  to 
govern  the  country,  but  they  were  faulty  because 
they  did  not  give  Congress  any  power  to  enforce 
the  laws.  As  Congress  could  not  make  people 
pay  their  taxes,  it  soon  had  no  money  to  pay  the 
debts  of  the  nation,  or  even  the  regular  expenses  of 
the  government.  It  could  not  make  treaties  with 
foreign  nations,  because  it  could  not  carry  them  out 
after  they  were  made.  It  could  not  keep  up  an 
army  or  a  navy,  for  it  could  not  raise  money  to  pay 
the  men,  or  to  build  vessels. 

Each  of  the  states  wished  to  do  as  it  pleased 
without  regard  to  the  others,  and  there  was  but 
little  national  feeling.  Congress  could  only  ask 
the  states  to'  supply  money,  and  if  any  state  did  not 
wish  to  do  so,  Congress  was  helpless.  The  nation 
was  in  danger  of  being  despised  at  home  and  ridi 
culed  abroad.  It  was  clear  that  something  must  be 


A  FACSIMILE  OF  WASHINGTON'S  ACCOUNTS  KEPT  DURING  THE  REVOLUTION. 

From  "  Monuments  of  Washington's  Patriotism." 
212 


A.  FACSIMILE  OF  WASHINGTON'S  ACCOUNTS  KEPT  DURING  THE  REVOLUTION. 

From  "Monuments  of  Washington's  Patriotism." 
213 


214  History  of  the  United  States. 

done  if  the  United  States  was  to  become  a  strong 
nation  or  even  to  keep  its  independence. 

At  length,  in  1787,  the  states  chose  a  number  of 
their  wisest  men,  among  them  George  Washington, 
Benjamin  Franklin,  Alexander  Hamilton,  and  James 
Madison,  to  frame  some  better  form  of  government 
which  could  enforce  its  laws  and  be  truly  national. 

After  four  months,  they  drew  up  the  Constitution 
of  the  United  States  of  America.  In  the  course  of 
a  year,  eleven  of  the  states  had  adopted  it,  and  it 
became  necessary  to  choose  a  President.  There 
was  one  man  to  whom  all  eyes  turned,  George  Wash 
ington,  and  he  was  chosen  unanimously.  John 
Adams  was  chosen  Vice-President. 

New  York  City  was  the  place  at  which  Congress 
was  sitting,  and  as  there  were  no  railroads  or  steam 
boats  or  telegraph  in  those  days,  a  special  mes 
senger  was  sent  to  tell  Washington  that  he  had  been 
elected  the  first  President  of  the  United  States. 

All  the  way  from  Mount  Vernon,  the  roads  along 
which  Washington  travelled  were  lined  with  people 
to  see  him  and  to  cheer  him  as  he  passed.  In 
every  village,  men  and  women  from  the  farms  and 
workshops  crowded  the  streets  to  watch  for  his  car 
riage  ;  and  the  ringing  of  bells  and  firing  of  guns 
marked  his  coming  and  going. 

Citizens  of  Baltimore  went  out  to  meet  him  and 
escort  him  into  the  city,  while  booming  of  cannon 
welcomed  him.  The  governor  of  Pennsylvania, 


The   Revolution. 


215 


with  soldiers  and  citizens,  met  him  at  the  state  line 
and  escorted  him  to  Philadelphia. 

At  Trenton,  there  was  a  grand  arch  of  triumph, 


f 1JJ- 


Gov.  E.  Clinton. 
Gen.  Henry  Knox. 


Steuben.  Gov.  A.  St.  Clair.          Sec'y  S.  A.  Otis.  Roger  Sherman. 

Chancellor  R.  R.  Livingston.  John  Adams. 

George  "Washington. 

WASHINGTON  TAKING  THE  OATH  AS  PRESIDENT,  APRIL  30,  1789. 

and  young  girls  went  before  him,  strewing  flowers  in 
his  path,  and  singing  songs  of  welcome.  When  he 
reached  Elizabethtown,  he  embarked  in  a  barge 
manned  by  thirteen  master-pilots  dressed  in  white, 
and  was  rowed  by  them  to  New  York.  He  entered 


21 6  History  of  the  United  States. 

the  city  to  the  sound  of  music,  salutes  of  artillery 
and  ten  thousand  shouts  of  welcome. 

On  the  30th  of  April,  1789,  he  took  the  oath  of 
office  on  the  balcony  of  Federal  Hall,  in  the  pres 
ence  of  a  great  multitude.  The  new  government 
had  begun. 

Washington  was  reflected  in  1792.  He  died  in 
1799;  it  was  well  said  of  him  that  he  was  "  first  in 
war,  first  in  peace,  and  first  in  the  hearts  of  his  fel 
low-countrymen." 

OUTLINE. 

The  English  colonists  learned  their  own  strength  dur 
ing  the  French  and  Indian  War.  They  were  not  repre 
sented  in  the  English  Parliament,  and  objected  to  taxation 
without  representation.  Parliament  passed  in  1765  the 
Stamp  Act.  But  it  could  not  be  enforced.  The  act  was 
repealed  and  a  tax  on  tea  imposed.  Colonists  refused  to 
receive  tea  or  to  pay  the  tax.  Parliament  passed  several 
acts  to  punish  Massachusetts.  The  people  all  over  the 
country  sided  with  Massachusetts. 

The  action  of  the  British  brought  on  an  appeal  to 
arms.  Washington  was  appointed  Commander-in-Chief. 
The  Continental  Congress  adopted  the  Declaration  of  In 
dependence,  July  4,  1776.  After  eight  years  of  warfare, 
the  British  acknowledged  the  independence  of  the  colonies. 
Washington  resigned  his  commission  1783.  The  states 
had  adopted  an  agreement  by  which  the  country  was  to 
be  ruled,  but  it  gave  Congress  no  power  to  enforce  its  laws. 
A  convention  drew  up  the  Constitution  which  was  adopted. 


THE  UNITED  STATES  AFTER  THE  REVOLUTION. 
217 


2i 8  History  of  the  United  States. 

George  Washington  was  unanimously  chosen  the  first 
president.  The  new  government  began  on  the  3Oth  of 
April,  1789.  Washington  died  1799. 

What  did  the  colonists  learn  from  the  French  and  Indian  War? 

Why  did  they  claim  that  Parliament  had  no  right  to  tax  them? 

What  was  the  Stamp  Act  ? 

Tell  the  story  of  the  attempt  to  collect  a  tax  upon  tea. 

Tell  the  story  of  Paul  Revere,  and  of  Concord  and  Lexington. 

Describe  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

Describe  Washington's  campaign  in  the  neighborhood  of  Bos 
ton  ;  New  York. 

Tell  about  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

Tell  the  story  of  the  surprise  of  Trenton ;  of  the  New  Jersey 
campaign. 

Describe  the  winter  at  Valley  Forge. 

What  induced  France  to  help  the  Americans? 

Tell  the  story  of  John  Paul  Jones. 

Describe  the  treachery  of  Arnold. 

Tell  the  story  of  the  war  in  the  south ;  of  the  surrender  of 
Cornwallis. 

Why  were  the  Articles  of  Confederation  unsatisfactory? 

How  was  the  Constitution  framed? 

Who  was  the  first  president? 

Tell  the  story  of  Washington's  journey  to  New  York. 

When  did  he  take  the  oath  of  office? 

When  did  he  die? 


DANIEL   BOONE. 

THE  English  had  gained  Canada  and  all  the 
country  between  the  Alleghanies  and  the  Missis 
sippi  River  as  a  result  of  the  great  war  with  the 
French.  It  was  a  wild  country.  Numerous  bands 
of  Indians  roamed  from  place  to  place  in  search  of 
game.  There  were  buffaloes,  elks,  deer,  and  wild 
turkeys.  Among  the  wild  animals  to  be  dreaded 
were  bears,  wolves,  panthers,  rattlesnakes,  and  cop 
perheads. 

There  were  vast  forests  tangled  with  underbrush 
and  thickets.  The  Indians  claimed  the  land,  but 
the  greater  part  of  it  was  used  as  hunting  grounds 
by  several  tribes,  and  no  one  tribe  could  properly 
say  that  the  land  was  its  own. 

Up  to  1763,  the  year  in  which  peace  was  made 
between  England  and  France,  very  few  Englishmen 
had  been  in  this  western  country.  The  land  south 
of  the  Ohio  River  was  almost  an  unknown  wilder 
ness.  One  of  the  first  to  cross  the  mountain  ridges 
which  were  the  western  boundary  of  the  Atlantic 
settlements  was  Daniel  Boone. 

Daniel  Boone  was  born  in  Bucks  County,  Penn 
sylvania,  in  1734.  His  parents  lived  on  the  bank 

219 


22O          History  of  the  United  States. 


of  the  Delaware  River,  in  that  part  of  Pennsylvania 
which  was  still  a  wilderness.  When  the  country 
became  more  settled,  and  while  Daniel  was  a  small 
boy,  they  moved  to  the  valley  of  the  Yadkin  River  in 
North  Carolina,  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  settlements. 
Daniel  grew  up  to  be  a  thorough  backwoods 
man.  He  became  skilful  with  his  rifle ;  he  learned 

the  secrets  of  backwoods  life, 
and,  with  a  wonderful  accur 
acy,  he  could  follow  the  trail 
of  man  or  animal.  No  one 
could  plough,  hoe,  or  chop 
down  trees  better  than  he; 
and,  like  almost  every  active, 
able  frontiersman,  he  could 
survey. 

For  more  than  sixty  years 
he  was  almost  continually  on 
the  frontier.  He  had  very 
little  -school-education,  and 
he  never  learned  to  spell. 
Part  of  an  old  beech  tree  was  shown  at  the  Columbian 
Exposition,  in  1893,  on  which  could  still  be  traced 
the  words  :  "  D.  Boon  cilled  a  bar  on  tree  in  the 
year  1 760."  *  Like  many  others  at  that  time,  he 
did  not  spell  even  his  own  name  always  in  the 
same  way. 

There  were   many  backwoodsmen    as   skilful  as 

1  D.  Boon  killed  a  bear  on  (this)  tree  in  the  year  1760. 


DANIEL  BOONE. 

After  the  painting  by  C.  Harding. 


Daniel   Boone.  221 

Boone ;  there  were  many  who  passed  through  as 
surprising  adventures ;  but,  among  men  who  often 
gave  way  to  intemperance,  he  was  always  sober;  he 
was  patient,  enduring,  brave,  daring  when  occasion 
called  for  it,  but  prudent,  and  always  modest.  He 
inspired  confidence,  and  for  this  reason  he  was 
employed  on  many  enterprises. 

He  was  able  to  make  his  skill  and  knowledge  of 
advantage  to  others.  He  said  he  was  an  instru 
ment  ordained  of  God  to  settle  the  wilderness.  He 
had  made  a  number  of  excursions  into  the  lands 
west  of  North  Carolina,  and  had  been  greatly  pleased 
by  the  beautiful  country  and  by  the  abundance  of 
game. 

On  the  ist  of  May,  1769,  Boone,  with  five  com 
panions,  started  from  the  Yadkin  valley  to  "  wander 
through  the  wilderness  of  America  in  quest  of  the 
country  of  Kentucky." 

In  about  six  weeks  they  reached  the  place  for 
which  they  had  set  out.  It  more  than  satisfied 
their  hopes.  The  country  was  full  of  game,  and  for 
six  months  they  enjoyed  such  hunting  as  they  never 
had  known  before. 

In  December  they  were  attacked  by  Indians,  and 
Boone  and  one  of  his  companions,  named  Stewart, 
were  captured.  Showing  as  little  anxiety  or  fear  as 
possible,  they  watched  for  a  chance  to  escape,  and 
one  night,  after  a  feast,  when  the  Indians  were 
asleep,  Boone  and  Stewart  succeeded  in  getting 


222  History  of  the  United  States. 

away.  When  they  reached  their  old  camp  they 
found  it  deserted,  and  with  no  trace  of  their  former 
companions. 

Fortunately  they  soon  fell  in  with  two  men  who 
had  come  from  North  Carolina,  partly  to  search  for 
them,  and  partly  to  explore  on  their  own  account. 
One  of  these  men  was  "  Squire  "  Boone,  Daniel's 
brother.  Stewart  was  surprised  and  shot  by  an 
Indian,  and  the  comrade  of  "Squire"  Boone  became 
so  frightened  that  he  returned  home,  leaving  the 
two  brothers.  They  spent  the  winter  in  a  wilder 
ness  where  there  was  no  other  white  man,  and 
then  "  Squire "  Boone  went  back  to  the  settled 
country  for  supplies. 

For  several  months  Daniel  Boone  was  entirely 
alone  in  the  great  forest.  He  lived  as  the  Indian 
hunters  lived.  Day  after  day  he  carefully  went 
over  the  country,  exploring  it  and  gaining  much 
knowledge  which  served  him  well  afterward. 

All  the  time  he  had  to  keep  the  closest  watch  for 
the  Indians.  Once  he  happened  to  look  back,  and 
was  startled  to  see  some  Indians  following  him. 
He  soon  perceived  that  they  had  not  seen  him,  but 
were  only  following  his  trail. 

He  kept  on,  but  though  he  went  first  this  way 
and  then  that  way,  hoping  to  deceive  them,  he 
found  that  they  were  still  on  the  trail. 

Just  as  he  was  wondering  what  was  best  to  do, 
he  came  across  a  huge  grape-vine  hanging  from  the 


Daniel   Boone.  223 

higher  branches  of  a  tree.  Boone  had  often  swung 
in  grape-vines  when  a  boy,  and  a  bright  thought 
struck  him.  He  quickly  cut  off  the  vine  not  far 
from  the  ground,  and  then  grasping  it  firmly 
gave  himself  a  good  swing  and  jumped  into  the 
air.  As  soon  as  he  came  to  the  ground  he  ran 
off  in  a  direction  quite  different  from  that  in  which 
he  had  been  going.  When  the  Indians  came  up 
they  could  find  no  trace  of  his  footsteps,  and  after 
a  while  they  gave  up  the  search. 

The  Indians  wore  soft  moccasins,  which  made  no 
noise;  they  could  go  through  the  forest  without  a 
sound  and  would  slip  from  tree  to  tree  until  they 
were  near  enough  to  shoot  their  unsuspecting 
enemy.  They  would  imitate  the  cries  of  animals, 
and  particularly  the  gobble  of  the  wild  turkey.  The 
unwary  hunter,  who  longed  for  a  good  supper  or 
breakfast,  would  follow  the  noise  until  he  was 
within  reach  of  the  Indian's  rifle,  when  he  would 
be  shot  down. 

Boone  and  many  of  his  later  companions  soon 
learned  to  know  the  cries  of  the  animals  so  well 
that  they  could  not  be  deceived.  They  also  learned 
to  surpass  the  Indian  in  his  own  woodcraft;  the  In 
dians  feared  them  as  much  as  they  feared  the  Indians. 

Others  had  been  in  Kentucky  before,  but  to 
Daniel  Boone  must  be  given  the  credit  of  leading 
the  first  band  of  permanent  settlers  into  that  beau 
tiful  country. 


224          History  of  the  United  States. 

This  undertaking  was  full  of  risk.  It  was  very 
different  from  the  settlement  of  the  Atlantic  colo 
nies,  which  were  gradually  pushed  farther  and 
farther  into  the  wilderness.  Kentucky  was  in  the 
midst  of  the  forests,  and  two  hundred  miles  from 
the  nearest  settlements. 


BOONE'S  TRAIL. 


The  Indian  title  to  the  country  between  the 
Kentucky  and  Cumberland  rivers  was  bought  of 
the  Indians,  in  1775,  by  a  land  company,  and 
Daniel  Boone  was  chosen  to  begin  a  settlement. 

With  thirty  men  he  started,  March  10,  1775, 
from  a  point  in  East  Tennessee  near  the  present 
boundary  of  North  Carolina.  For  two  hundred 
miles  they  cut  a  path  through  the  woods.  It  went 
through  the  Cumberland  Gap,  across  rivers  and 
streams  which  had  to  be  forded,  as  there  were  no 


Daniel  Boone.  225 

bridges.  This  path  was  known  as  "  Boone's  Trail," 
and  as  the  "  Wilderness  Road."  Later,  tens  of 
thousands  of  emigrants  passed  over  this  road  on 
their  way  to  the  West. 

Early  one  morning,  when  Boone  and  his  com 
pany  had  almost  reached  the  end  of  their  journey, 
and  were  gathered  around  their  camp-fires,  they 
were  attacked  by  the  Indians,  and  two  of  the  thirty 
were  killed.  The  rest  sprang  up,  seized  their  rifles, 
and  stood  ready  to  defend  themselves.  The  Indians 
however,  vanished  as  swiftly  and  as  steathily  as 
they  had  appeared,  leaving  the  rest  of  the  party 
unhurt. 

In  April  the  party  reached  the  Kentucky  River, 
and  began  to  build  a  little  town  or  Settlement, 
which  they  called  Boonesborough.  Again  they  were 
attacked  by  Indians.  This  time  several  of  the  set 
tlers  were  killed  and  scalped,  and  some  of  the  sur 
vivors  were  so  frightened  that  they  returned  to 
Carolina.  But  others  came  to  take  their  places. 

The  log  cabins  were  built  in  straight  lines  with 
the  backs  of  the  cabins  toward  the  forest.  The 
spaces  between  the  cabins  were  filled  with  high 
stockades ;  that  is  to  say,  high  fences  or  palisades 
made  of  heavy  timbers  driven  into  the  ground. 
There  were  strong  wooden  gates  which  were  shut 
at  night  or  in  time  of  danger. 

The  houses  were   built  of  logs,   and  had  steep 

roofs    made    of    great    clapboards.     Wooden    pins 
16 


226  History  of  the  United  States. 


served  for  nails.  There  were  loopholes  through 
which  to  watch  the  Indians  and  to  fire  upon  them. 
The  settlers  cleared  some  land  for  farms,  but  for 
several  years  they  lived  in  the  stockade.  It  was  a 
brave  and  hardy  race  that  peopled  the  western  and 
southern  country. 

When  the  danger  from  the  Indians  became  less, 
the  settlers  lived  on  their  own  land.     The  pioneer 

farmer  first  built 
his  log  cabin,  and 
then  made  his 
clearing  in  the 
forest  by  burning 
the  brush,  cutting 
down  the  small 
trees,  and  girdling 
the  large  ones.1 

Corn  was  plant 
ed  among  the 
stumps  and  dead 
trees,  and  it  was 
a  time  of  rejoicing  when  the  ears  were  old  enough 
for  roasting.  When  the  corn  was  harvested,  the 
grains  were  broken  into  hominy,  Indian  fashion, 
by  being  pounded  in  a  hollow,  wooden  block.  Wild 

1  To  girdle  a  tree  is  to  cut  a  groove  around  the  trunk  quite  through 
the  bark.  This  prevents  the  sap  from  ascending,  and  the  tree  soon 
dies.  The  absence  of  foliage  on  the  dead  trees  allows  the  sun  to  reach 
the  corn  and  ripen  it. 


BOONE'S  FORT. 

From  a  drawing  by  Colonel  Henderson   in  "  Collins's 
Historical  Collections  of  Kentucky." 


Daniel   Boone.  227 

turkeys,  venison,  and  bear  meat  made  a  change  of 
diet.  In  almost  every  home  there  was  a  spinning- 
wheel,  and  instead  of  flax  the  women  used  the  beaten 
stalks  of  nettles. 

In  1776  and  1777  the  settlers  were  attacked  again 
and  again  by  the  Indians.  One  day  Boone's  daugh 
ter  and  two  other  girls  went  in  a  canoe  on  the  river; 
suddenly  five  Indians  seized  them  and  carried  them 
off.  As  soon  as  Boone  heard  of  this  misfortune,  he 
and  seven  men  went  in  pursuit. 

The  girls  were  badly  frightened  when  captured, 
and  two,  including  Boone's  daughter,  gave  up  to 
despair.  The  eldest  of  the  three  girls  was  sure  that 
their  absence  would  soon  be  noticed  and  their  trail 
followed.  So,  to  guide  their  rescuers,  she  broke  off 
twigs  as  they  went  along.  The  Indians  saw  her 
doing  this,  and  threatened  to  tomahawk  her  if  she 
did  it  again.  Then  she  tore  off  little  bits  of  her 
dress  and  dropped  them  when  she  thought  she 
could  do  it  without  being  seen. 

The  Indians  kept  the  girls  apart  from  each  other, 
and  now  and  then  made  them  walk  in  the  brooks, 
to  hide  all  marks  of  their  path. 

Boone  started  the  very  evening  of  the  day  they 
were  captured,  and  followed  their  trail  so  accurately 
that  he  came  up  with  the  Indians  in  thirty-six 
hours. 

The  Indians  thought  they  were  safe,  and  hav 
ing  killed  a  young  buffalo  were  about  to  cook  it 


228  History  of  the  United  States. 

Boone  gave  no  sign  of  his  approach,  but  when  near 
enough  he  and  a  companion  levelled  their  rifles  and 
killed  two  of  the  Indians.  The  three  others  sprang 
up  and  ran  off,  leaving  guns,  tomahawks,  scalping 
knives,  and  their  captives.  The  girls  were  unhurt, 
and  were  escorted  back  in  safety  to  their  homes. 

Daniel  Boone  himself  did  not  always  escape.  At 
one  time  he  went  with  some  companions  to  get  salt 
from  a  salt  spring,  or  "  salt-lick,"  as  it  was  called, 
and  while  he  was  out  hunting,  alone,  a  party  of 
about  a  hundred  Indians  came  upon  him,  and 
though  he  attempted  to  escape  by  running,  he  was 
overtaken  and  captured.  His  captors  did  not  hurt 
him,  but  adopted  him  into  their  tribe,  for  the 
Indians  greatly  admired  his  skill. 

Boone  quietly  accepted  his  fate,  and  was  appar 
ently  cheerful  and  happy.  He  took  part  in  the 
games ;  he  shot  at  a  mark  with  the  Indians,  but 
was  careful  not  to  shoot  so  well  as  to  excite  their 
envy.  He  showed  no  anxiety  to  be  released  lest  he 
might  cause  them  to  watch  him  more  closely,  for 
the  Indians  did  not  quite  trust  him. 

Every  time  he  went  out  hunting  they  counted 
his  balls,  and  when  he  came  back  they  looked  to 
see  how  much  powder  he  had  used.  On  one  excur 
sion  he  found  a  body  of  warriors  plotting  to  attack 
Boonesborough.  He  now  felt  that  he  must  attempt 
to  escape  in  order  to  warn  his  friends.  One  day  he 
went  out  on  his  morning's  hunt  as  usual,  but  as  soon 


Daniel  Boone.  229 

as  he  was  out  of  sight  of  the  Indians  he  started  off 
rapidly  for  Boonesborough,  a  hundred  and  sixty 
miles  away. 

His  path  lay  through  forests  and  swamps,  and 
across  many  rivers,  among  them  the  Ohio,  which  he 
crossed  by  means  of  an  old  canoe  he  found  among 
the  bushes  on  the  banks.  He  lived  upon  a  little 
dried  venison  which  he  had  managed  to  hide,  for 
until  he  crossed  the  Ohio  he  did  not  dare  to  shoot 
any  game  or  light  a  fire. 

In  less  than  five  days  he  presented  himself  before 
his  friends  at  Boonesborough.  They  could  hardly 
believe  their  eyes,  for  all  had  given  him  up  as  dead. 
Even  his  wife  believed  that  he  must  have  been  killed, 
and  she  had  gone  back  to  North  Carolina. 

Some  weeks  afterward,  a  force  of  over  four  hun> 
dred  Indians  and  a  few  Canadians  appeared.  There 
were  but  fifty  fighting  men  in  the  stockade.  After 
many  attempts  to  get  the  little  garrison  to  surren 
der,  an  attack  was  begun ;  it  was  kept  up  for  nine 
days.  The  assailants  tried  to  set  fire  to  the  fort; 
they  dug  a  mine,  hoping  to  get  under  the  stockade, 
but  the  fort  was  near  a  river,  and  the  muddy  water 
betrayed  them. 

The  Indians  did  not  dare  at  any  time  to  come 
very  near,  for  the  Kentuckians  with  their  rifles 
would  shoot  any  one  who  came  within  range.  The 
women  moulded  the  bullets,  provided  food,  and 
helped  to  keep  watch. 


230          History  of  the  United  States. 


After  twelve  days  the  attacking  party  went  away. 
The  Kentuckians  had  two  men  killed,  and  four 
wounded,  while  the  Indians  lost  ten  times  as 
many. 

The  little  party  of  defenders  had  been  sparing  of 
their  powder  and  shot,  but  the  besiegers  had  been 
wasteful  of  theirs,  for  Boone  says,  "  We  picked  up 


Exterior.  Interior. 

A  PIONEER  HOME  IN  KENTUCKY. 

one  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds  of  bullets, 
besides  what  stuck  in  the  logs  of  our  fort." 

After  this,  Boone  went  to  North  Carolina  and 
brought  back  his  wife  and  those  of  their  children 
she  had  taken  with  her. 

Daniel  Boone  had  many  other  adventures  and 
hairbreadth  escapes.  When  the  population  in 
creased,  he  moved  to  Missouri,  about  fifty  miles 
west  of  St.  Louis.  This  he  did  not  only  because 
game  was  scarce,  but  because  he  loved  the  freedom 
of  frontier  life,  and  wished,  as  he  said, "  more  elbow- 
room."  There  he  lived  the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  in 
his  eighty-sixth  year. 


Daniel  Boone.  231 


OUTLINE. 

Up  to  1763  the  country  west  of  the  Alleghanies  was 
almost  unknown  to  the  English  settlers.  Daniel  Boone 
was  one  of  the  first  to  explore  it.  His  first  visit  to  Ken 
tucky  was  in  1764.  He  found  the  country  even  more  attrac 
tive  than  he  had  expected.  In  1775  he  began  to  make  a 
settlement.  The  settlers  had  much  trouble  from  the 
Indians.  Boone  himself  was  captured,  but  succeeded  in 
escaping.  Boone  was  an  ideal  backwoodsman.  He  died 
in  his  eighty-sixth  year. 

Tell  the  story  of  Daniel  Boone's  early  life. 

Tell  the  story  of  Boone's  first  visit  to  Kentucky. 

Tell  how  the  Indians  attacked  their  foes. 

Tell  the  story  of  how  Boone  led  a  party  of  settlers  into  Ken 
tucky. 

Describe  how  the  settlers  built  their  huts  for  defence. 

Describe  the  settlers'  manner  of  life. 

Tell  the  story  of  the  capture  of  Boone's  daughter  and  her  com 
panions. 

Tell  the  story  of  Boone's  own  capture,  and  his  escape ;  of  the 
Indian  attack  on  the  fort. 


THOMAS   JEFFERSON. 

THOMAS  JEFFERSON  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1743. 
His  father,  Peter  Jefferson,  had  been  one  of  the  first 
settlers  of  that  part  of  the  country.  He  was  a  rich 
planter,  and,  like  Washington,'  a  land  surveyor. 
Peter  Jefferson  was  a  man  of  great  force  of  charac 
ter.  He  was  remarkable  for  his  physical  strength. 
It  was  said  that  he  could  stand  between  two  hogs 
heads  of  tobacco,  each  weighing  about  a  thousand 
pounds,  and  set  them  both  upon  end  at  once. 

Thomas  Jefferson  inherited  not  only  his  father's 
height  and  physical  strength,  but  also  his  spirit  of 
sturdy  self-reliance.  He  was  an  earnest  and  ener 
getic  boy,  putting  his  whole  heart  into  whatever  he 
did.  Above  all  things  he  hated  sham  and  pretence. 

At  school  he  was  so  industrious  that  he  was  able 
to  enter  an  advanced  class  at  William  and  Mary 
College  when  he  was  only  seventeen  years  old.  At 
college  he  is  said  to  have  studied  from  twelve  to 
fifteen  hours  a  day. 

He  was  graduated  at  the  age  of  nineteen ;  he  was 
familiar  with  Latin  and  Greek,  knew  some  French 
and  Spanish,  and  was  skilled  in  mathematics.  He 
was  also  able  to  write  and  speak  clear,  forcible,  and 
elegant  English. 

But  with  all  his  devotion  to  study,  young  Jeffer- 

232 


Thomas  Jefferson.  233 

son  did  not  neglect  his  physical  education.  He 
excelled  in  every  manly  exercise,  was  a  good  dancer, 
and  a  famous  rider.  While  at  college  his  study 
hours  gave  him  little  time  for  exercise,  but  every 


THOMAS  JEFFERSON. 

After  the  painting  by  Gilbert  Stuart. 

evening,  at  twilight,  he   used    to    run  to  a  certain 
stone  and  back  again,  —  a  distance  of  two  miles. 

After  he  left  college  he  kept  up  his  habit  of  hard 
work,  rising  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  in  winter, 
and  earlier  in  summer,  so  that  he  might  have  time 
for  study. 


234  History  of  the  United  States. 

He  was  then  six  feet  two  inches  tall ;  straight  as 
an  arrow,  with  sharp  features,  a  ruddy  complexion, 
a  delicate  skin,  red  hair  and  large,  deep-set,  hazel 
eyes.  His  manner  was  frank  and  cordial,  full  of 
sympathy  and  confidence.  Much  of  his  success 


PATRICK  HENRY  ADDRESSING  THE  VIRGINIA  ASSEMBLY. 

After  the  painting  by  A.  Chappel. 

was  due  to  the  buoyant,  hopeful  disposition  which 
was  his  through  life. 

He  studied  law  and  became  a  successful  lawyer, 
though  he  was  never  a  good  speaker.  In  1 765,  while 
a  law  student  at  Williamsburg,  then  the  capital  of 
Virginia,  he  went  to  hear  a  debate  on  the  Stamp 
Act,  in  the  House  of  Burgesses.  It  was  the  day 
that  Patrick  Henry  made  his  famous  speech  against 


Thomas  Jefferson.  235 

the  Act,  in  which  he  said,  "  Caesar  had  his  Brutus; 
Charles  the  First  his  Cromwell ;  and  George  the 
Third" —  Here,  thinking  that  the  orator  was 
about  to  suggest  the  death  of  the  king,  the  Speaker 
of  the  House  and  others  cried  out,  "  Treason,  trea 
son  ! "  As  soon  as  there  was  a  pause,  Patrick 
Henry,  fixing  his  eyes  upon  the  Speaker,  added, 
"  And  George  the  Third  may  profit  by  their  exam 
ple/' 

Ten  years  later,  Jefferson  was  a  member  of  the 
Virginia  convention.  It  was  just  before  the  battle 
of  Lexington.  Patrick  Henry  now  made  another 
famous  speech,  in  which  he  said :  "  We  must  fight ! 
I  repeat  it,  sir,  we  must  fight !  "  and  ending,  "  As 
for  me,  give  me  liberty  or  give  me  death  !  "  Jeffer 
son  never  forgot  these  scenes. 

At  the  age  of  thirty-two,  Jefferson  was  sent  as  a 
delegate  to  the  Continental  Congress  at  Philadel 
phia.  A  year  later  he  was  on  the  committee  to 
draw  up  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and 
that  document  is  almost  wholly  his  work. 

From  this  time  until  he  was  an  old  man,  Jeffer 
son  was  constantly  in  the  public  service.  He  was 
the  means  of  putting  an  end  to  a  law  in  Virginia 
which  provided  that  land  should  be  inherited  only 
by  the  eldest  son  of  a  family.  The  new  law  allowed 
land  to  be  divided  among  a  man's  children. 

In  many  of  the  colonies  there  was  a  state  church  ; 
that  is,  a  church  which  everybody  was  taxed  to  sup- 


236  History  of  the   United  States. 

port.  Jefferson  thought  it  very  unjust  that  those 
who  were  not  members  of  that  church  or  of  any 
church  should  be  thus  taxed.  He  persuaded  the 
legislature  of  Virginia  to  repeal  this  law,  so  that  all 
denominations  should  be  treated  alike.  No  state 
now  taxes  for  church  support. 

When  Dr.  Franklin  asked  to  be  allowed  to 
return  home  from  France,  Jefferson  was  appointed 
his  successor.  "  You  replace  Dr.  Franklin,  I  hear," 
said  the  French  minister  to  him.  "  I  succeed 
him,"  replied  Jefferson.  "  No  one  can  replace 
him." 

Jefferson  was  five  years  in  France ;  then,  while 
on  his  way  back  to  America,  he  was  appointed 
secretary  of  state  by  President  Washington. 

On  his  return  to  his  home  in  Virginia,  his  negro 
slaves  were  so  glad  to  see  him  that  they  lifted  him 
out  of  his  carriage,  put  him  on  their  shoulders,  and 
carried  him  up  the  hill  to  his  house. 

Jefferson  was  chosen  Vice-President  in  1796,  and 
President  in  1801.  He  was  reflected  in  1804,  and 
so  was  President  eight  years.  In  1800  the  seat  of 
government  was  changed  from  Philadelphia  to 
Washington. 

Though  Jefferson's  home  life  was  famous  for  its 
generous  hospitality,  he  believed  in  simplicity  of 
manner  rather  than  in  luxury  and  display.  Wash 
ington  and  John  Adams  had  thought  that,  as  the 
President  was  the  highest  officer  in  the  land,  he 


Thomas  Jefferson.  237 

should  observe  the  strictest  formality.  Wash 
ington  had  driven  about  in  a  fine  cream-colored 
coach,  with  four  and  sometimes  six  horses,,  No 
visitor  could  approach  him  without  much  ceremony. 
When  Congress  met,  Washington  drove  to  the  Cap 
itol  with  a  great  deal  of  pomp  and  parade,  and  read 
his  message  in  person.  John  Adams  did  the  same. 

Jefferson  at  his  inauguration  changed  all  this. 
He  came  to  the  Capitol  on  foot,  in  his  ordinary 
dress,  escorted  by  a  body  of  militia  artillery,  and 
accompanied  by  a  few  of  his  political  friends. 

He  read  his  speech  in  the  Senate  chamber  with 
little  or  no  ceremony.  When  the  time  came  for  an 
annual  message,  he  sent  by  a  messenger  a  written 
copy  to  Congress.  This  example  has  been  followed 
ever  since 

At  the  White  House,  the  official  residence  of  the 
President,  almost  any  one  could  see  and  converse 
with  Jefferson.  On  one  occasion,  a  foreign  minister 
was  received  by  Jefferson  in  a  dressing-gown,  and 
a  pair  of  old  slippers,  Since  Jefferson's  day,  no 
President  has  ventured  to  appear  in  anything  but 
citizen's  dress,  or  to  introduce  very  much  formality 
at  the  White  House. 

When  Jefferson  became  President  in  1801,  the 
western  boundary  of  the  United  States  was  the 
Mississippi  River.  Spain  owned  Florida,  the  land 
around  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  and  all  west  of 
the  river.  Citizens  of  what  was  then  the  western 


238  History  of  the  United  States. 

part  of  the  United  States  could  not  ship  goods  to 
Europe,  or  receive  them  from  Europe,  except 
through  Spanish  territory. 

While  the  Americans  were  thinking  what  was 
the  best  thing  to  do  to  get  free  navigation  of  the 
Mississippi,  Spain  transferred  Louisiana,  as  all 
the  land  west  of  the  river  was  called,  to  France. 
Jefferson  desired  to  buy  from  France  a  tract  of 
land  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  so  that  goods 
for  the  United  States  could  be  landed.  To  accom 
plish  this  purpose,  he  sent  envoys  to  France. 

To  the  surprise  of  the  American  envoys,  Na 
poleon,  the  ruler  of  France,  offered  to  sell  the  whole 
of  Louisiana.  They  accepted  his  offer,  and  secured 
the  vast  territory  for  the  United  States  in  1803. 

This  purchase  doubled  the  national  possessions, 
for  it  must  be  remembered  that  Louisiana  then  in 
cluded  all  the  country  between  the  Mississippi  River 
and  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
United  States  could  now  spread  westward  without 
fear  of  a  foreign  enemy. 

The  purchase  of  Louisiana  was  the  most  impor 
tant  event  of  Jefferson's  term  as  President.  It  was 
one  of  the  most  important  events  in  American  his 
tory.  It  was  the  first  annexation  to  the  territory  of 
the  United  States. 

Jefferson's  home  was  at  Monticello,  on  the  plan 
tation  which  he  had  inherited  from  his  father. 
Here  he  lived  after  his  retirement  from  public  life, 


Thomas  Jefferson. 


239 


an  object  of  affection  to  his  household  and  to  his 
neighbors,  and  of  interest  to  his  countrymen  and 
to  foreigners.  Here  he  passed  his  declining  years, 
and  welcomed  with  lavish  hospitality  the  many  who 
came  to  see  him. 

He  was  a  kind  and  considerate  master  to  his 
slaves.  He  did  not  believe  in  slavery,  and  would 
gladly  have  seen  it  banished  from  the  country. 


MONTICELLO. 
The  North  Front. 


He  was  much  interested  in  education,  and  was 
the  founder  of  the  University  of  Virginia,  near  Char- 
lottesville. 

Jefferson  was  much  more  of  a  politician  than 
Washington  or  Adams  had  been ;  he  was  a  good 
party  manager,  and  was  the  first  President  who 
rewarded  his  political  friends  with  public  office. 

He  lived    to   be  an  old  man.  dying  on  the  4th 


24°          History  of  the  United  States. 

of  July,  1826,  just  fifty  years  after  the  Declaration 
of  Independence  was  proclaimed.  John  Adams, 
the  second  President  of  the  United  States,  died  on 
the  same  day.  These  two  men  had  done  very 
much  to  bring  about  the  independence  of  the 
United  States,  and  they  lived  to  see  their  country 
become  one  of  the  great  nations  of  the  world. 

OUTLINE. 

Thomas  Jefferson  was  the  son  of  a  Virginia  planter. 
He  was  born  in  1743.  He  received  a  good  education.  He 
graduated  at  William  and  Mary  College.  He  was  a  law 
yer.  He  was  sent  to  the  Continental  Congress  and  drafted 
the  Declaration  of  Independence.  He  was  constantly  in 
public  life.  He  was  chosen  Vice-President  in  1796,  and 
President  in  1801,  He  believed  in  Democratic  simplicity. 
During  his  term  of  office  Louisiana  was  bought  from 
France. 

When  and  where  was  Thomas  Jefferson  born? 

Tell  the  story  of  his  college  life. 

Describe  his  personal  appearance. 

What  celebrated  document  did  he  draw  up? 

What  ideas  did  he  have  in  regard  to  luxury  and  display? 

What  was  the  most  important  event  of  his  term  as  President  ? 

Name  some  of  his  personal  characteristics. 

When  did  he  die  ? 


LEWIS   AND  CLARK. 


VERY  soon  after  the  Louisiana  territory  was 
turned  over  to  the  United  States,  President  Jeffer 
son  sent  out  an  expedition 
to  explore  the  country,  for 
it  was  almost  unknown  to 
white  men. 

The  party  consisted  of 
thirty-four  men,  under  the 
lead  of  two  captains,  Meri- 
wether  Lewis  and  William 
Clark.  Both  were  from 
Virginia,  and  familiar  with 
backwoods  life. 

They  set  out  from  St. 
Louis  in  May,  1804.  In 
order  to  secure  the  good 
will  of  the  Indians,  they  car 
ried  with  them,  among 
other  things,  beads,  coats, 
blankets,  knives,  and  toma 
hawks. 

They  expected  to  live  by  hunting*     Their  orders 
were  to  follow  the  Missouri  River  to  its  source;  to 

!?  241 


MERIWETHER  LEWIS  IN 
HUNTER'S  DRESS. 

After  the  drawing  by  St.  Memin. 


242          History  of  the  United  States. 


cross  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  follow  the  Columbia 
River  to  its  mouth.  This  river  had  been  first  seen 
by  Captain  Robert  Gray,  of  the  American  ship 
Columbia  in  1791.*  It  was  explored  by  him  for 
several  miles,  in  the  following  year,  and  was  named 
after  his  ship,  the  Columbia. 

It  was  a  beautiful  time  of  the  year  to  start  on 
such  a  journey.  All  vegetation  was  fresh  and  green. 
The  explorers  were  much  pleased  with  the  country. 
There  were  groves  of  hickory,  walnut  and  cotton- 
wood  trees  along  the  river, 
and  there  was  an  abundance 
of  wild  fruit. 

It  took  them  all  the  sum 
mer  to  reach  the  Platte 
River.  Here  on  the  bluffs, 
over  the  river,  they  held  a 
great  council  with  Indians, 
and  named  the  place  Coun 
cil  Bluffs. 

The  Indians  were  friendly, 
and  there  was  little  trouble 


WILLIAM  CLARK. 

,.  «Travcls.»    in    dealing    with    them,  be 
cause     tnev     were 


From   Lewis  and  Clark's 


they  were  treated 
fairly.  They  were  greatly  pleased  with  the  presents 
given  them. 

The  party  of  explorers  went  on,  following   the 

1  Some  authorities  state  that  it  had  been  previously  discovered  by  the 
Spaniards,  in  1592. 


Lewis  and  Clark.  243 

Missouri  River  until  late  in  the  autumn.  Then, 
having  found  a  place  where  there  was  plenty  of  tim 
ber,  they  encamped  and  began  to  cut  down  trees 
with  which  to  build  huts  for  their  winter  quarters. 

As  soon  as  the  spring  opened,  they  started  again, 
and  by  the  latter  part  of  April  reached  the  mouth 
of  the  Yellowstone  River.  They  climbed  some 
bluffs,  and  saw  spread  before  them  the  wide  plains 
watered  by  the  Missouri  and  Yellowstone.  Herds 
of  buffalo,  deer,  elk,  and  antelope  could  be  seen, 
and  the  wooded  banks  and  irregular  windings  of  the 
rivers  gave  a  pleasing  variety  to  the  picture. 

The  men  resumed  their  march,  and  in  a  few  weeks 
saw  a  snow-covered  range  of  mountains,  stretching 
north  and  south  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see.  These 
they  knew  must  be  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

One  day  Captain  Lewis  saw  a  mist  in  the  distance. 
When  he  came  nearer  he  found  it  to  be  caused  by 
great  falls  in  the  river.  For  several  miles  the 
Missouri  rushes  along  over  rocks  and  precipices, 
through  canons  and  narrow  ways,  now  almost  lost 
to  view,  now  coming  into  sight  again.  The  boats 
had  to  be  drawn  over  the  ground  for  miles,  before 
they  could  be  launched  again.  Soon  the  explorers 
found  that  these  boats  were  not  at  all  suited  for  the 
stream  in  which  they  were  to  be  used,  and  so  others 
were  built  out  of  trees  which  were  cut  down  along 
the  banks  of  the  river. 

Before  many  days,  the  bed  of  the  river  became  so 


244          History  of  the  United  States. 

rocky  and  its  current  so  swift  that  the  men  could 
not  use  the  boats.  To  add  to  their  discouragement, 
no  Indian  guide  could  be  found,  and  it  seemed  im 
possible  to  go  on  through  the  trackless  wilderness. 

At  last  Captain  Lewis  set  out  alone,  saying  that 
he  would  not  return  until  he  found  a  guide.  He 
kept  on  his  solitary  way  until  he  came  to  a  small 
gap  in  the  mountains,  where  there  was  just  room 


LEWIS  AND  CLARK'S  ROUTE. 

enough  between  the  river  and  the  cliff  for  an  Indian 
trail.     This  he  followed. 

After  suffering  many  hardships,  Captain  Lewis 
reached  an  Indian  village.  The  inhabitants  could 
not  believe  that  he  had  crossed  the  mountains  alone. 
At  length  some  of  the  Indians  went  back  with  him, 
and,  finding  his  story  true,  furnished  guides  and 
horses  for  his  party. 


Lewis  and   Clark.  245 

The  march  was  a  difficult  one  ;  sometimes  the 
little  company  could  go  only  five  miles  in  a  whole 
day.  The  path  was  often  stony ;  sometimes  it  led 
along  steep  precipices ;  sometimes  through  wild 
canons.  It  was  so  difficult  to  find  food  that  they 
ate  their  broken-down  horses. 

Though  the  men  were  ragged,  weary,  footsore, 
and  half-starved,  they  kept  on.  After  a  while  they 
reached  a  river  on  which,  their  guides  told  them, 
it  would  be  safe  to  embark.  So  they  built  new 
canoes,  and  began  to  descend  the  stream.  As  they 
journeyed  they  came  to  a  larger  river,  which  they 
called  the  Lewis ;  and  another  river  which  joined 
farther  on,  they  called  the  Clark.  Then  they  floated 
into  the  Columbia  itself. 

They  were  delighted  with  the  beautiful  scenery  and 
the  charming  country  through  which  they  passed.  It 
took  them  a  long  time  to  descend  the  great  river,  but 
the  day  of  success  came  to  them  at  last. 

It  was  a  rainy,  foggy  morning  in  the  autumn ; 
they  could  see  only  a  short  distance  around  them ; 
once  they  stopped  to  get  some  food  at  an  Indian 
village  on  an  island  in  the  river.  They  started 
again,  and  had  not  gone  far  from  this  village  when 
the  fog  lifted,  and  they  "  enjoyed  the  delightful 
prospect  of  the  ocean  —  that  ocean,  the  object  of  all 
their  labors,  the  reward  of  all  their  anxieties."  Soon 
they  heard  the  roaring  of  the  breakers,  and  their 
joy  was  complete. 


246          History  of  the  United  States. 

It  was  now  November,  and  far  too  late  in  the 
season  for  them  to  think  of  crossing  the  mountains 
again.  So  they  chose  a  place  in  which  to  spend  the 
winter,  and  made  ready  for  their  stay. 

During  the  winter  they  learned  all  that  they 
could  about  the  country ;  its  minerals,  trees,  shrubs, 
flowers,  fruits,  animals,  fishes,  birds,  and  even  its 
insects. 

They  found  out  how  the  Indians  lived,  what  fish 
and  animals  they  caught,  and  what  furs  they  had  to 
exchange.  They  wrote  in  a  journal  their  adven 
tures  and  what  they  had  learned,  and  it  has  made  a 
very  interesting  book. 

They  began  their  return  journey  in  March,  1806, 
and  in  the  following  September,  two  years  and 
four  months  after  they  had  set  out,  they  reached 
St.  Louis. 

They  had  explored  a  large  part  of  the  Louisiana 
territory,  and  had  also  discovered  and  explored  a 
great  region  beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains.  In 
doing  this  they  had  helped  the  United  States  to 
gain  a  title  to  a  vast  territory. 

What  they  had  to  tell  and  what  they  had  to  show 
created  great  wonder  and  interest.  The  knowledge 
of  their  discovery  spread  over  the  land,  and  it  was 
soon  understood  that  Louisiana  was  a  far  greater 
acquisition  than  any  one  had  ever  imagined. 


Lewis  and  Clark.  247 


OUTLINE. 

President  Jefferson,  in  1804,  sent  Captains  Lewis  and 
Clark  to  explore  the  territory  of  the  Louisiana  purchase. 
They  had  many  adventures.  They  discovered  the  Colum 
bia  River  and  followed  it  to  its  mouth.  The  whole  journey 
took  nearly  two  years  and  a  half. 

For  what  purpose  did  President  Jefferson  send  out  Lewis  and 
Clark? 

Tell  the  story  of  their  journey  to  the  Yellowstone  River. 
Tell  the  story  of  their  journey  to  the  Columbia  River. 
Describe  their  first  sight  of  the  Pacific. 
Of  what  value  was  their  journey? 


ZEBULON    M.    PIKE. 


WHILE  Lewis  and  Clark  were  exploring  the  coun 
try  to  the  north,  President  Jefferson  sent  Lieuten 
ant  Zebulon  Pike  to  find  out 
the  direction,  the  extent,  and 
the  character  of  the  Red 
River  and  the  Arkansas. 
He  was  also,  if  possible,  to 
establish  friendly  relations 
with  the  Indians. 

Lieutenant  Pike  and  his 
party  of  twenty-four  men 
set  out  from  St.  Louis  in 
July,  1806.  They  went  in 
boats  up  the  Osage  River  to 
some  Indian  villages,  where 
they  secured  horses,  and 
then  began  their  long  overland  journey. 

On  reaching  the  Arkansas  River,  the  company 
divided,  part  following  down  the  river  to  the  Mis 
sissippi,  while  Pike  and  the  others  went  up  the 
stream  to  discover  its  source. 

For  about  a  month  they  ascended  the  river. 
Now  they  found  the  stream  very  small,  and  Pike, 
to  gain  some  idea  of  the  country,  climbed  a  high 

248 


Z.  M.  PIKE. 


From  an  engraving  by  Gimbrede,  in 
"  The  Analectic  Magazine." 


Zebulon   M.   Pike. 


249 


PIKE'S  PEAK. 

From  the  Garden  of  the  Gods. 


250  History  of  the  United  States. 

mountain  which  has  since  fitly  borne  his  name, 
"  Pike's  Peak." 

Like  every  one  who  has  since  stood  on  that  peak, 
he  was  deeply  impressed  with  the  wonderful  pros 
pect  spread  out  before  him.  There  was  the  river 
winding  along  until  it  was  lost  in  the  horizon. 
There  were  the  great  plains,  where  thousands  of 
buffaloes  were  roving.  The  air  was  so  clear  that 
he  could  see  a  great  distance  in  every  direction. 

Winter  now  came  on,  the  streams  were  all  frozen, 
and  the  trails  were  covered  with  snow.  Pike  and 
his  companions  went  hither  and  thither,  not  know 
ing  which  way  to  turn;  but,  in  spite  of  being  almost 
starved  and  half-frozen,  they  never  lost  heart.  At 
last  Pike  thought  that  they  could  not  be  very  far 
from  the  Spanish  town  of  Santa  Fe.  One  of  the 
company  volunteered  to  try  to  find  it,  and  started 
off.  The  others  awaited  the  result. 

One  day,  while  Pike  was  out  hunting  for  game, 
he  was  greatly  surprised  to  see  two  Spaniards  come 
riding  up  to  him.  They  told  him  that  he  was 
within  two  days'  journey  of  Santa  Fe,  where  his 
comrade  had  already  arrived. 

Pike  took  the  Spaniards  to  his  camp  without 
any  distrust,  and  treated  them  kindly.  A  few  days 
later  a  body  of  Spanish  cavalry  rode  up,  and  took 
Pike  and  his  companions  prisoners,  informing  them 
that  they  were  on  Spanish  territory,  and  would  have 
to  explain  their  presence. 


Zebulon  M.  Pike. 


251 


The  little  body  of  Americans  presented  a  sorry 
appearance.  Pike  was  wearing  blue  trousers,  moc 
casins,  a  blanket  coat,  and  a  scarlet  cap  lined  with 
a  fox  skin.  There  was  not  a  hat  in  the  whole  com 
pany,  and  the  men  had  on  well-worn  shabby  leather 
leggins,  coats,  and  breech-cloths. 

The  Spaniards  finally  became  satisfied  that  Pike 
had  no  wish  to  injure  Spain,  or  to  trespass  on  her 


PIKE'S  ROUTE. 


territory,  and  said  that  he  and  his  men  might  return 
to  the  United  States.  They  were,  however,  for 
bidden  to  go  back  the  way  that  they  had  come,  and 
were  sent  home  through  Texas. 

While  they  were  at  Santa  Fe,  Pike  was  told  by  an 
American  who  was  living  there  that  he  had  found 
gold  along  the  Platte  River.  This  was  then  thought 
to  be  an  idle  story,  but  many  years  after,  gold  was 
discovered  where  the  old  hunter  said  he  had  found  it 


2,52          History  of  the  United  States. 


OUTLINE. 

While  Lewis  and  Clark  were  to  explore  the  north, 
Lieutenant  Pike  and  his  party  were  sent  to  explore  the 
south.  He  discovered  Pike's  Peak.  They  were  captured 
by  the  Spaniards,  but  finally  released. 

For  what  purpose  was  Lieutenant  Pike  sent  out? 
Tell  the  story  of  his  journey. 


EARLY    INVENTORS,— JOHN   FITCH,  ROBERT 
FULTON,  ELI   WHITNEY. 

LONG  before  a  successful  steamboat  was  built, 
men  had  thought  that  steam  could  be  used  to  pro 
pel  boats  through  water. 

One  man  proposed  that  steam  should  be  used  to 
move  a  paddle,  shaped  somewhat  like  a  duck's  foot, 
which  would  send  the  boat  forward. 

Two  men,  about  the  same  time,  one  in  France, 
and  James  Rumsey  in  Virginia,  thought  that  if 
water  was  sucked  in  from  the  bow  of  a  vessel,  and 
forced  out  at  the  stern,  the  boat  would  be  pushed 
forward.  Rumsey  tried  this  plan,  and  succeeded  in 
making  a  boat  go  at  the  rate  of  four  miles  an  hour. 

Neither  the  duck's  foot  nor  the  suction  plan,  how 
ever,  worked  well  enough  to  come  into  practical  use. 

Meanwhile  there  was  a  man  who  thought  of  a 
still  better  plan  ;  this  was  John  Fitch.  He  was 
born  in  Connecticut  in  1743;  he  was  fond  of  books 
when  a  boy,  but  had  little  chance  to  study,  for  he 
was  allowed  to  attend  school  only  a  few  weeks  in 
the  year.  When  eleven  years  old  he  wished  very 
much  to  have  a  geography.  His  father  would  not  give 
him  one,  but  allowed  him  to  raise  enough  potatoes 
to  pay  for  the  book. 

253 


254          History  of  the  United  States. 

When  he  was  older,  he  became  a  watch  and  clock- 
maker;  then  a  button-maker;  then  a  silversmith. 
He  was  in  the  Revolutionary  army  at  Valley  Forge. 
He  afterward  went  to  Kentucky  and  became  a  land 
surveyor. 

Once  he  started  from  Pittsburg  on  a  flat-boat  to 
go  to  New  Orleans ;  but,  before  he  had  reached  the 
Mississippi,  he  and  most  of  his  companions  were 
captured  by  the  Indians.  The  prisoners  were 
forced  to  carry  their  own  cargo  to  the  Indian  villages, 
Fitch  was  compelled  to  run  the  gantlet,  and  was 
used  cruelly  in  other  ways. 

His  skill  in  making  ornaments  soon  procured  for 
him  kindly  treatment ;  after  some  months,  he  was 
ransomed  by  a  British  officer  at  Detroit.  By  indus 
try  he  earned  enough  to  pay  for  his  ransom  from  the 
Indians  ;  and  after  a  long  time  he  was  exchanged  as 
a  prisoner  of  war. 

There  came  into  his  mind  the  idea  of  a  boat  that 
could  be  moved  by  steam,  and  from  that  time  until 
his  death,  he  had  this  subject  almost  continually  in 
his  thoughts. 

After  many  difficulties,  he  had  a  boat  built  on 
the  Delaware  River.  Instead  of  paddle-wheels,  there 
were,  on  each  side  of  the  boat,  six  oars  which  were 
moved  by  a  small  engine. 

This  steamboat  he  called  the  Perseverance. 
It  went  at  the  rate  of  about  seven  miles  an  hour. 
On  the  twelfth  of  October,  1 788,  it  steamed  from 


Early  Inventors. 


255 


"  PERSEVERANCE." 

John  Fitch's  first  steamboat,  as  seen  on  the  Delaware  in 
1787;   speed  seven  miles  an  hour. 


Philadelphia  to  Burlington,  twenty  miles,  in  three 
hours.  This  short  voyage  by  steamer  was  the  first 
in  history.  The 
working  of  this 
boat  was  so  ex 
pensive  that  the 
Perseverance 
failed  to  make 
good  her  name. 
Fitch  visited 

Europe  to  see  what  he  could  do  there,  but  was 
unsuccessful  in  accomplishing  anything.  He  re 
turned  to  America,  and  went  to  Kentucky,  where 

he  died  in  1796.  He 
used  to  say  that  the  time 
would  come  when  steam 
boats  would  sail  reg 
ularly  on  the  rivers,  and 
would  cross  the  Atlantic 
Ocean,  but  he  was  laughed 
at  and  thought  to  be  an 
idle  dreamer. 

Another  American  was 
more  fortunate  than  Fitch 

ROBERT  FULTON.  had  been>   This  was  Robert 

Fulton,  the  son  of  an  Irish 

tailor,  who  lived  near  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania. 
Robert  Fulton  was  born  in  1765.  He  was  not 
fond  of  study  when  a  boy,  but  he  had  a  very  in- 


256          History  of  the  United  States. 

ventive  mind  and  was  continually  making  experi 
ments.  When  he  wished  to  have  a  pencil,  he  ham 
mered  one  out  of  lead ;  when  he  wanted  fireworks, 
he  made  rockets  of  his  own.  He  invented  an  air 
gun;  he  was  fond  of  fishing,  but  did  not  like  to 
row  the  boat,  so  he  invented  a  boat  to  be  rowed  by 
paddles. 

He  was  so  skilful  with  his  brush  that  he  decided 
to  become  an  artist.  When  he  was  only  seventeen, 
he  went  to  Philadelphia,  and  supported  himself  by 
painting  landscapes  and  portraits,  and  making  draw 
ings  of  machinery.  He  saved  enough  money  to  buy 
a  farm  for  his  mother,  and  then,  when  he  was  about 
twenty-one,  went  to  study  art  in  Europe. 

He  remained  in  Europe  many  years.  While 
there  his  mind  was  turned  to  practical  things.  He 
became  skilled  in  engineering ;  he  designed  aque 
ducts,  bridges,  canals,  and  other  works. 

He  invented  a  boat  that  would  move  under  water 
and  carry  torpedoes  to  blow  up  war  vessels.  At 
this  time  he  was  thinking  of  moving  vessels  by 
steam. 

While  in  France  he  built  a  boat  to  be  moved  by 
steam,  and  everything  was  ready  for  the  trial,  when 
the  weight  of  the  machinery  broke  the  boat  in  two, 
and  it  sank.  Fulton  had  the  machinery  raised  out 
of  the  water,  and  resolved  to  try  again.  He  soon 
had  another  boat  made  larger  and  stronger  than  the 
first;  and  using  the  same  machinery  as  before,  he 


Early   Inventors.  257 

made  another  trial  which  was  successful.  But  this 
boat  was  only  an  experiment. 

Fulton  was  so  sure  of  success  with  larger  vessels, 
that  he  ordered  the  various  parts  of  a  steam  engine 
to  be  made.  This  work  had  to  be  done  in  Eng 
land,  for  at  that  time  there  were  no  manufactories  in 
America  where  they  could  be  made.  He  shipped 
the  engine  to  America,  for  he  intended  his  next 
trial  to  be  made  in  his  own  country. 

While  in  Paris  Fulton  had  formed  a  close  friend 
ship  with  Robert  R.  Livingston,  the  American  minis 
ter  to  France,  a  man  of  means  and  influence.  It 
was  by  Livingston's  help  that  Fulton  was  enabled 
to  carry  out  his  plan. 

As  soon  as  Fulton  arrived  in  the  United  States, 
he  set  about  building  a  very  much  larger  vessel 
than  he  had  yet  attempted.  He  was  laughed  at 
and  ridiculed.  His  vessel  was  nicknamed  Ful 
ton  s  Folly,  and  almost  every  one  prophesied  that 
it  would  be  a  failure. 

The  vessel  was  finished  in  August,  1807.  The 
English  engines  had  been  put  together  and  placed 
in  position.  All  was  ready  for  the  trial.  A  large 
crowd  gathered  on  the  wharves  in  New  York  to 
see  what  was  going  on,  and  to  make  sport  of  Fulton  s 
Folly.  Black  smoke  came  out  of  the  smoke-pipe, 
the  wheels  turned  and  then  stopped.  The  crowd 
began  to  jeer,  but  the  trouble  with  the  engine  was 

remedied,  the  wheels  again  revolved,  the  vessel  kept 
18 


258          History  of  the  United  States. 

on,  and   the   scoffing  of  the   lookers-on  was  soon 
changed  to  hurrahs. 

The  Clermont,  as  the  little  vessel  was  called  in 
honor  of  Livingston's  home,  soon  went  up  the  river 
to  Albany.  The  dense  black  smoke  pouring  out  of 
her  smoke-pipe,  the  noise  of  her  machinery,  her 
moving  against  wind,  tide,  and  current,  filled  all 


THE  "CLERMONT." 
From  Rergart's  "  Life  of  Fulton." 

those  who  saw  her  with  wonder.  On  her  return 
voyage,  one  man  shouted,  "  See  the  sawmill  going 
down  the  river,  working  as  it  goes."  Some  were  so 
terrified  when  she  passed  them  that  they  fell  on 
their  knees,  or  ran  away  from  the  dreadful  sight. 

The  Clermont  made  only  five  miles  an  hour,  a 
speed  much  less  than  that  of  Fitch's  Persever 
ance  ;  but  Fulton's  paddle-wheels  were  far  better 
than  Fitch's  oars,  and  the  boat  could  be  run  at 


Early  Inventors.  259 

much  less  cost.  To  Fulton  belongs  the  credit  of 
inventing  the  first  practical  steamboat. 

Fulton  did  not  get  much  money  for  his  great 
invention,  and  died,  in  1815,  a  poor  man.  He  is 
buried  in  Trinity  churchyard,  New  York  City. 

Before  Fulton's  death  many  steamboats  were  in 
use.  As  early  as  1811,  the  New  Orleans,  was 
launched  at  Pittsburg,  and  after  a  voyage  of  three 
days  reached  Louisville.  She  went  on  to  New 
Orleans ;  and  in  a  few  years  many  steamers  were 
plying  upon  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries. 

In  1819,  the  first  steamer  crossed  the  Atlantic 
Ocean.  This  was  the  Savannah,  which  sailed 
from  Savannah,  Georgia,  for  England. 

From  England  she  went  .to  St.  Petersburg,  Rus 
sia,  stopping  at  ports  in  Denmark  and  Sweden  on 
the  way. 

It  should  be  stated,  however,  that  she  did  not 
steam  all  the  time,  but  depended  to  a  great  extent 
on  her  sails.  In  fact,  her  wheels  were  so  arranged 
that  they  could  be  unshipped  and  taken  on  board, 
when  not  in  use. 

For  a  long  time  only  paddle-wheels  were  used 
as  a  means  of  helping  the  sails.  The  screw-pro 
peller,  invented  by  John  Ericsson,  has  taken  the 
place  of  side-wheels  for  ocean  steamers,  and  now 
the  great  ocean  liners  depend  upon  steam  alone. 

Cotton  is  one  of  the  greatest  crops  now  raised 
in  the  United  States;  but  in  1784  eight  bags  of 


260          History  of  the  United  States. 


cotton,  taken  to  Liverpool  in  an  American  ship, 
were  seized,  because  it  was  thought  impossible 
for  America  to  raise  so  much.1 

At  the  present  time,  millions  of  bales  of  cot 
ton  are  raised  in  America  every  year.  This  enor 
mous  increase  in  the  size  of  the  crop  is,  to  a  great 
extent,  due  to  a  single  invention  —  that  of  Eli 

Whitney. 

Whitney  was  born  in 
Westboro,  Massachu 
setts,  in  1765.  His 
father  was  a  farmer,  and 
more  or  less  of  a  me 
chanic  as  well.  As  soon 
as  the  son  could  handle 
tools,  he  was  always  try 
ing  to  make  something. 
He  made  a  very  good 
j.  ERICSSON  IN  1861.  fiddle  when  he  was  only 

twelve    yearS   old.       When 

his  father,  who  was  away 
from  home  at  the  time,  came  back,  he  was  not  very 
well  pleased,  and  said,  "  Ah,  I  fear  Eli  will  have  to 
take  his  portion  in  fiddles." 

One  Sunday  morning,  while  the  rest  of  the  family 
were  at  church,  Eli  took  his  father's  watch  to 

JBy  the  English  law,  at  that  time,  ships  were  allowed  to  bring 
in  only  such  articles  as  were  raised  in  the  country  to  which  the  ship 
belonged. 


At  the  time  he  built  the  Monitor.     From 


Early  Inventors. 


261 


pieces,    and    managed    to    get    it    together    again 
before  the  family  returned. 

In  the  time  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  nails  were 
scarce  and  costly.  Whitney  asked  his  father  to 
give  him  some  tools  with  which  to  make  nails.  He 
made  them  by  hammering  them  one  by  one  out  of 
a  bar  of  red-hot  iron.  These  sold  well  until  the 
war  came  to  an  end,  when  it  was  no  longer  profit 
able  to  make  nails  in  that 
way. 

All  this  time  he  was 
working  on  the  farm,  and 
also  mending  everything 
that  was  brought  to  him 
for  repair,  for  he  soon 
gained  the  reputation  of 
being  able  to  mend  any 
thing.  He  did  not  neg 
lect  study.  As  soon  as 
he  was  old  enough,  he 
taught  in  the  village 
school,  and  partly  by  his  teaching  and  partly  by 
his  mechanical  work,  he  earned  enough  money  to 
go  to  Yale  College,  which  he  entered  when  he 
was  twenty-four.  He  studied  well  and  took  his 
degree  in  1792. 

He  engaged  himself  as  tutor  in  a  family  in 
Georgia.  The  citizens  of  the  state  of  Georgia 
were  so  grateful  to  General  Nathanael  Greene  for 


ELI  WHITNEY. 


262          History  of  the  United  States. 

what  he  had  done  during  the  Revolution,  in  driving 
the  British  from  the  South,  that  they  gave  him  a 
tract  of  land,  not  far  from  the  city  of  Savannah. 
When  Whitney  reached  Georgia,  he  visited  the 
home  of  the  Greenes,  and  while  there  he  mended 
an  embroidery  frame  for  Mrs.  Greene  so  skilfully 
that  she  was  greatly  pleased  and  much  impressed 
with  his  ability. 

One  day,  when  there  was  a  company  of  gentlemen 
present,  the  conversation  turned  upon  cotton  and 
the  difficulty  of  separating  the  cotton  fibre  from 
the  seeds.  The  wish  was  expressed  that  some 
better  and  quicker  way  of  accomplishing  this  hard 
task  could  be  discovered.  Mrs.  Greene,  hearing 
what  was  said,  exclaimed,  "  Gentlemen,  apply  to 
my  young  friend  here,  Mr.  Whitney;  he  can  do 
anything ! " 

Whitney  thought  much  about  the  matter,  and 
before  very  long  he  had  invented  what  is  called  a 
"  cotton  gin." 1 

He  worked  under  great  difficulties,  for  he  had  to 
make  his  own  tools,  and  draw  his  own  wire.  His 
simple  and  ingenious  machine,  by  means  of  teeth 
and  wires,  separated  the  cotton  fibre  from  the  seeds. 
It  had  taken  one  person  a  day  to  clean  with  the 
fingers  one  or  two  pounds  of  cotton,  while  with  the 
aid  of  Whitney's  gin  the  same  person  could  clean 
a  hundred  pounds. 

1  Gin,  the  same  as  engine,  a  machine, 


Early  Inventors. 


263 


The  difficulty  and  expense  of  ridding  cotton  of 
the  numerous  little  seeds  entangled  in  it  had  dis 
couraged  planters  from  the  general  cultivation  of 
the  cotton  plant.  Now  that  the  fibre  could  be 
separated  cheaply,  the  plant  began  to  be  raised 
extensively,  and  there  was  a  great  demand  for  negro 
slaves  to  labor  in  the  cotton  fields. 

The  lower  price  of  cotton  led  to  the  establish 
ment  of  many  mills  for  the  purpose  of  weaving  the 
fibre  into  cloth,  the 
price  of  which  soon 
fell  so  much  that  many 
more  persons  could 
buy  it,  and  the  demand 
for  cotton  cloth  be 
came  very  great.  The 
larger  crops  demanded 
a  larger  number  of 
vessels  to  carry  the 
cotton  to  the  Eastern 
states  and  to  Europe.  There  are  few  inventions 
of  man  which  have  had  more  far-reaching  effects 
than  this  one  of  a  Yankee  schoolmaster. 

Eli  Whitney's  invention  was  stolen  from  him 
while  he  was  trying  to  secure  a  patent,  and  though 
he  received  a  good  deal  of  money,  it  was  all  spent 
in  trying  to  defend  his  rights.  He  afterward 
settled  near  New  Haven,  Connecticut,  and  manu 
factured  firearms  for  the  government,  inventing 


WHITNEY'S  COTTON  GIN. 

After  the  original  model. 


264          History  of  the  United  States. 

his  own  tools  and  machinery.     In  this  undertaking 
he  was  very  successful,  and  he  died  a  wealthy  man. 


OUTLINE. 

Various  plans  for  propelling  vessels  through  the  water 
by  steam  were  proposed  at  different  times.  John  Fitch 
was  the  first  who  proposed  a  practicable  steamboat,  but 
the  cost  of  running  it  was  too  great.  Robert  Fulton  de 
signed  the  first  profitable  steamboat.  The  Clermont  went 
from  New  York  to  Albany  in  1807.  The  Savannah,  in 
1819,  was  the  first  steamer  to  cross  the  Atlantic.  The 
invention  of  the  cotton  gin  by  Eli  Whitney  increased  enor 
mously  tire  growth  of  cotton  in  the  United  States,  and 
affected  many  other  interests. 

Describe  Rumsey's  plan  for  a  steamboat. 

Tell  the  story  of  John  Fitch  and  his  experiments. 

Tell  the  story  of  Robert  Fulton's  early  life ;  of  his  experiments 
in  Paris. 

Tell  the  story  of  the  Clermont. 

What  steamer  first  crossed  the  Atlantic?    When  was  it? 

Who  invented  the  propeller? 

Tell  the  story  of  Whitney's  early  life. 

Tell  the  story  of  the  invention  of  the  cotton  gin. 

What  effect  did  the  invention  have  upon  the  raising  of  cotton  ? 
Manufactures  ?  Commerce  ? 

Did  Whitney  profit  much  by  his  great  invention? 


ANDREW   JACKSON.—  TECUMSEH.  —  THE 
WAR   OF    1812. 


ANDREW  JACKSON  was  the  son  of  a  Scotch- Irish 
immigrant,  who  settled  in  North  Carolina,  and  who 
died  when  he  had  been  about  two  years  in  his  new 
home.  He  left  a  widow 
and  two  sons. 

Andrew  Jackson  was 
born  in  1767,  soon  after 
the  death  of  his  father. 
His  mother,  though  not 
destitute,  was  poor,  and 
her  boys  had  few  advan 
tages.  Like  many  other 
backwoods  boys,  they 
went  to  a  school  kept  in 
a  log-cabin  in  the  pine  AA™  jAhCKSON'. . 

O  In  1830.    Age  63.    After  the  portrait  by  R.  W. 

woods.    Andrew  was  not         Earl  m  the  u- s  National  Museum. 
long  at  school,  for  those  were  the  stirring  times  of 
the  Revolution. 

The  home  of  the  family  was  in  the  line  of 
march  of  the  British  army.  Andrew  and  his  next 
brother  Robert,  young  as  they  were,  took  their 

265 


266          History  of  the  United  States. 

part  in  fighting  the  enemy ;  and  once,  when  Andrew 
was  about  thirteen,  they  were  both  captured. 

The  troops  had  been  marching  in  the  mud,  and 
when  the  prisoners  were  brought  to  camp,  a  British 
officer  pulled  off  his  boots,  and,  throwing  them  to 
Andrew,  ordered  him  in  very  rough  language  to 
clean  them.  The  boy  refused,  and  the  angry  officer 
struck  him  so  sharply  with  his  sword  that  he  bore 
the  scars  for  the  rest  of  his  life. 

Andrew's  brother  was  treated  in  like  manner,  then 
the  boys  were  put  in  prison.  Later  they  fell  ill  with 
small-pox;  their  mother  managed  to  get  them  ex 
changed  ;  but  Robert  soon  died.  The  oldest  brother, 
Hugh,  also  a  soldier,  had  died  some  time  before. 

Mrs.  Jackson  was  full  of  pity  for  the  American 
prisoners  confined  at  Charleston,  more  than  a  hun 
dred  miles  away.  She  went  on  horseback  to  visit 
and  help  them.  While  at  Charleston  she  con 
tracted  the  prison  fever  and  died.  Andrew,  now 
about  fourteen  years  old,  was  left  alone. 

He  made  up  his  mind  to  learn  a  trade,  choosing 
that  of  a  saddler;  but  he  soon  found  that  it  was 
not  suited  to  his  active  disposition,  and  gave  it  up. 
He  next  tried  keeping  a  country  store,  but  he  did 
not  like  this  much  better ;  then  he  studied  law  and 
taught  school.  His  law  studies  were  not  very  deep 
or  extensive,  but  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar. 
Thinking  that  he  should  have  more  chance  of  suc 
cess  in  a  new  country,  he  went  to  what  was  then 


Andrew  Jackson.  267 

the  frontier  settlement  of  Tennessee.  After  some 
years,  he  was  made  a  judge.  He  was  well  acquainted 
with  the  life  and  character  of  the  people  among 
whom  he  lived,  and  tradition  says,  dispensed  justice 
in  a  fashion  that  was  well  suited  to  them.  He  had 
a  mind  and  a  will  of  his  own,  and  said  and  did  pretty 
much  what  he  pleased.  Everybody  knew  that  he 
meant  exactly  what  he  said,  that  he  was  afraid  of 
nobody,  and  that  he  would  fight  with  any  one  who 
dared  to  dispute  with  him. 

In  the  year  1796,  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  House  of  Representatives  at  Washington.  He 
is  described  at  this  time  as  being  tall  and  thin,  hav 
ing  long  hair  which  often  used  to  fall  over  his  face, 
and  was  worn  behind  in  a  cue  tied  up  in  an  eelskin, 
Later  still  he  was  sent  to  the  Senate.  He  was  so 
accustomed  to  the  rough  ways  of  the  backwoods 
that  the  sober  and  sedate  habits  of  the  Senate  were 
very  irksome  to  him.  At  times  when  something  was 
said  that  he  did  not  like,  he  would  get  so  angry  that, 
when  he  rose  to  reply,  he  would  choke  with  rage 
and  have  to  sit  down  without  saying  anything. 
He  was  glad  to  return  to  Tennessee,  when  the 
time  came  for  him  to  do  so. 

When  the  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Indiana,  and 
Illinois  regions  became  settled  by  the  whites,  the 
Indians  were  forced  to  remove  farther  and  farther 
west.  The  more  intelligent  Indians  saw  that  the 
time  would  soon  come  when  they  would  be  driven 


268  History  of  the  United  States. 

out  of  their  lands.  Most  of  the  white  men  seemed 
to  think  that  the  country  belonged  to  them,  and 
that  the  Indians  were  intruders. 

The  settlers  wished  to  own  all  the  land.  They 
were  willing  to  pay  the  Indians  something  for  any 
claim  they  might  have;  but  the  Indian  was  com 
pelled  to  accept  the  white  man's  offer.  It  was 
better  that  the  white  man  should  have  the  country; 
but  too  often  he  treated  the  Indian  unjustly  and 
took  advantage  of  his  ignorance. 

Tecumseh,  an  able  Indian ,  and  his  brother, 
called  the  Prophet,  resolved,  as  King  Philip  had 
done,  to  try  to  band  together  all  the  Indians,  and 
drive  the  white  men  back.  Governor  William  Henry 
Harrison,  of  Indiana  territory,  heard  of  this  plan  of 
the  Indians,  and  did  his  best  to  persuade  them  not 
to  go  to  war.  Tecumseh,  however,  came  with  four 
hundred  Indian  warriors  to  see  Governor  Harrison. 
He  recounted  to  the  governor  the  wrongs  of  the 
Indians,  and  told  him  that  these  wrongs  would  be 
borne  no  longer. 

When  he  had  finished  his  speech,  one  of  the 
officers,  pointing  to  the  governor,  said,  "  Your 
father  asks  you  to  sit  by  him."  Tecumseh  replied 
with  disdain  :  "  My  father !  The  sun  is  my  father, 
and  the  earth  my  mother;  on  her  bosom  will  I 
repose."  He  then  seated  himself  on  the  ground. 

The  conference  was  of  no  avail.  Tecumseh  now 
went  to  induce  the  southern  Indians  to  join  with 


Andrew  Jackson.  269 

him.  He  succeeded  in  persuading  them  to  do  so. 
Before  he  returned  to  his  own  tribe,  he  gave  his 
allies  a  bundle  of  sticks,  telling  them  to  throw  away 
one  stick  each  day.  When  all  were  gone,  it  would 
be  time  for  them  to  attack  the  settlers,  for  by  that 
time  he  would  have  attacked  the  northern  whites. 

While  Tecumseh  was  in  the  south,  his  brother, 
the  Prophet,  gathered  his  forces  and  proposed  to 
fall  upon  the  whites.  General  Harrison  was  familiar 
with  Indian  customs,  and  learned  what  the  Prophet 
had  in  mind.  He  determined  that,  if  there  was  to 
be  a  war,  he,  and  not  the  Indians,  should  choose 
the  time  for  beginning  it. 

He  therefore  collected  some  troops  and  marched 
toward  Tippecanoe,1  an  Indian  village,  where  many 
warriors  had  gathered. 

When  the  Prophet  found  out  that  troops  were 
near,  he  sent  to  Harrison,  offering  to  make  peace. 
This  was  only  to  put  the  general  off  his  guard. 
The  very  next  morning,  about  four  o'clock,  while  it 
was  yet  dark,  the  Indians  attacked  Harrison's  men. 

The  first  thing  the  sentinels  heard  was  a  terrible 
war-whoop.  The  troops  sprang  to  arms,  and  a 
sharp  battle  was  fought  in  the  darkness.  The 
Indians  were  defeated,  and  their  village  was  burned. 
This  battle  was  fought  November  7,  181 1.  General 
Harrison  after  this  was  called  "  Tippecanoe." 

Tecumseh  was  bitterly  disappointed  and  cha- 
1  Tippecanoe  was  where  Lafayette,  Indiana,  is  now. 


270  History  of  the  United  States. 

grined  when  he  reached  his  old  home  and  found 
out  what  had  happened.  The  War  of  1812  with 
England  soon  began.  He  joined  the  British,  and 
was  killed  in  battle. 

England  had  been  at  war  with  France  for  a  num 
ber  of  years.  France,  under  Napoleon,  had  secured 
control  of  a  large  part  of  Europe.  England,  in 
order  to  injure  France,  proclaimed  that  no  vessels 
of  any  nation  should  trade  with  France  or  any 
country  ruled  by  France.  Napoleon  retorted  by 
issuing  a  decree  that  no  vessel  should  trade  with 
England.  As  the  United  States  had  a  good  trade 
with  Europe,  these  laws  hurt  American  commerce 
very  much. 

The  United  States  government  tried  in  various 
ways  to  induce  England  and  France  to  change 
these  laws,  but  without  success. 

These  were  not  the  only  grievances.  England 
had  a  large  navy  and  needed  many  sailors.  In 
order  to  secure  them,  when  a  war  vessel  was  in  an 
English  port,  naval  officers  would  send  men  on 
shore  to  seize  any  able-bodied  men  they  could  find, 
and  force  them  on  board  their  vessel.  This  was 
called  "  impressing  sailors." 

Of  course  it  was  much  better  to  get  men  who 
were  already  sailors.  The  British  naval  officers, 
therefore,  made  it  a  practice  to  stop  American 
merchant  ships  when  they  met  them,  and  seize 
some  of  their  men.  They  always  claimed  that  such 


Andrew  Jackson.  271 

men  were  British  citizens *  and  could  be  rightfully 
seized. 

These  officers  were  not  at  -all  careful  to  find  out 
whether  a  man  had  been  born  in  England  or  not. 
If  they  saw  a  fine-looking  seaman,  they  would  say, 
"  You  must  be  an  Englishman,  we  will  take  you." 
The  captains  and  crews  of  the  merchant  vessels 
could  do  nothing  but  protest. 

Thousands  of  Americans  were  thus  seized.  The 
United  States  government  would  complain  to  the 
British  government;  but  there  the  matter  usually 
would  end,  for  the  British  ministry  thought  that 
the  United  States  would  not  dare  to  do  anything 
more  than  complain. 

At  last,  in  1812,  the  United  States  declared  war 
against  England.  A  great  many  persons  in  America 
thought  it  very  unwise  to  go  to  war.  England  had 
about  a  thousand  war  vessels,  while  the  United 
States  had  but  ten  or  twelve  first-class  vessels. 
England's  troops  were  numerous,  well  drilled,  and 
had  had  much  experience.  The  troops  of  the 
United  States  were  few,  poorly  disciplined,  and 
unused  to  war. 

Those  who  were  for  peace  not  only  pointed 
out  these  facts,  but  claimed  that  all  matters  in 
dispute  could  be  satisfactorily  arranged  without 

1  At  that  time  all  European  nations  held  that  a  man  was  always  a 
citizen  of  the  country  in  which  he  was  born,  no  matter  where  he  might 
be,  or  to  what  country  he  might  have  emigrated. 


272          History  of  the  United  States. 

fighting.  It  has  since  been  seen  that  they  were 
probably  right. 

Though  the  American  war-ships  were  few,  they 
were  the  very  best  of  their  class,  and  were  manned 
by  the  best  sailors  in  the  world.  When  a  report 
reached  England  that  the  Constitution,  an  American 
frigate,  had  captured  the  Guerriere,  a  British  frigate, 
the  English  newspapers  said  that  it  could  not  be 
true,  for  such  a  thing  was  impossible.  But  it  was 
true,  nevertheless,  and  there  were  other  American 
victories  as  well. 

On  land  the  British  were  generally  victorious, 
though  after  a  while  the  Americans  were  able  to 
hold  their  own  on  the  Canadian  border. 

The  Americans  had  such  a  long  coast  line,  and 
so  few  vessels  to  defend  it,  that  the  British  had 
many  opportunities  to  land  a  force  in  an  unexpected 
place.  The  British  made  several  attacks  on  the 
coast,  the  most  important  of  which  was  on  the 
shores  of  Chesapeake  Bay. 

They  captured  Washington,  and  burnt  the  Capi 
tol,  as  well  as  other  public  buildings.  During  the 
British  bombardment  of  Fort  McHenry,  near  Balti 
more,  Francis  Scott  Key,  a  young  American  patriot, 
was  detained  on  one  of  their  vessels.  He  was  full 
of  fear  lest  the  fort  might  be  taken,  and,  while 
watching  the  shot  and  shell  through  the  long  hours 
of  the  night,  he  wrote,  on  the  back  of  an  old 
letter,  the  poem  "  The  Star-Spangled  Banner,"  which 


Andrew  Jackson.  273 

afterward  became  a  national  song.  The  British  were 
compelled  to  retire  without  accomplishing  their 
object. 

Before  this  time  the  Creek  Indians  in  the  south, 
who  had  been  excited  by  Tecumseh,  had  attacked 
the  whites.  They  seized  Fort  Minis,  in  which 
four  hundred  men,  women,  and  children  had  taken 
refuge,  and  cruelly  massacred  all  these  captives, 
even  burning  some  of  them  to  death. 


GOLD  MEDAL  PRESENTED  BY  CONGRESS  TO  ANDREW  JACKSON. 

Andrew  Jackson  had  been  a  general  of  militia, 
and  he  now  marched  against  these  Indians  and 
defeated  them.  It  was  a  war  of  extermination  ;  the 
whites  gave  no  quarter,  but  killed  every  prisoner. 

This  victory  and  other  successes  gave  Andrew 
Jackson  a  great  reputation,  and  he  was,  in  conse 
quence,  placed  in  command  of  the  southern  army. 

Jackson  expected  that  the  British  would  attack 
New  Orleans.  He  was  right.  Twelve  thousand  or 
more  English  soldiers,  the  best  in  the  English  army, 
19 


274          History  of  the  United  States. 

had  been  sent  to  take  this  important  place.  Jack 
son  made  every  effort  to  defend  it.  He  released 
the  prisoners  from  the  jails,  and  armed  them ;  he 
also  armed  the  free  negroes ;  he  made  defences  and 
threw  up  earthworks ;  then  he  waited  for  the  attack. 

The  British  made  their  assault,  January  8,  1815. 
A  terrible  battle  followed.  The  British  were 
driven  back,  with  their  general  killed,  and  a  loss  of 
about  two  thousand  men.  The  Americans  lost  less 
than  one  hundred. 

All  this  bravery  on  both  sides  and  this  loss  of  life 
were  for  nothing,  because  a  treaty  of  peace  had  al 
ready  been  signed  in  Europe.  But  there  was  no 
telegraph,  no  railroad,  no  ocean  steamship  in  those 
days,  and  it  was  a  long  time  before  the  sailing 
vessels  brought  the  news. 

Strange  to  say,  the  impressment  of  sailors  and 
the  restrictions  on  trade  were  not  even  named  in 
the  treaty.  France  had  been  conquered.  Eng 
land  was  at  peace  with  European  nations,  and  no 
longer  needed  sailors.  She  had  also  learned  that  it 
would  not  be  wise  to  try  to  take  them  by  force. 
She  had  repealed  the  old  laws  restricting  trade. 
Her  people  were  tired  of  war,  and  were  eager  for 
peace.  The  people  of  the  United  States  were  also 
quite  ready  to  stop  fighting,  and  welcomed  the 
news  of  the  treaty  with  enthusiasm. 

They  now  devoted  themselves  to  the  arts  of 
peace.  Canals  were  constructed,  roads  were  made, 


Andrew  Jackson.  275 

steamboats  built,  manufactures  established,  and 
thousands  of  new  fields  planted  with  various  crops. 
For  thirty  years,  with  the  exception  of  occasional 
troubles  with  the  Indians,  the  country  was  at  peace 
and  prospered  greatly. 

Andrew  Jackson  was  elected  President  of.  the 
United  States  in  1828.  He  was  the  first  man  who 
had  risen  from  the  poorest  in  the  land  to  that  high 
office.  He  thought,  and  very  many  of  his  country 
men  thought  with  him,  that  he  represented  the  whole 
people  better  than  had  any  former  President. 

Jackson  had  been  hot-tempered  and  self-willed  as 
a  boy,  and  his  disposition  was  not  changed  when 
he  became  a  man.  He  was  honest  in  his  inten 
tions,  though  often  at  fault  in  his  judgment. 

He  thought  that  all  his  political  friends  should 
be  rewarded.  Accordingly,  he  turned  hundreds  of 
men  out  of  the  public  offices,  and  replaced  them 
with  those  who  had  supported  him  in  his  campaign 
for  the  presidency. 

For  about  sixty  years  nearly  every  President  fol 
lowed  his  example.  Now,  under  what  are  called 
the  "  Civil  Service  Rules,"  most  of  those  who  hold 
office  are  kept  in  their  positions  as  long  as  they  do 
their  work  well. 

Andrew  Jackson  was  elected  President  a  second 
time.  He  died  in  1845. 


276          History  of  the   United   States. 


OUTLINE. 

Andrew  Jackson  was  born  in  1767.  His  parents  were 
very  poor.  He  took  part  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  He 
removed  to  Tennessee,  and  became  a  prominent  citizen. 
Was  sent  to  Congress.  Was  appointed  general  of  militia, 
and  'was  actively  engaged  in  the  Indian  wars,  in  which 
Tecumseh,  an  Indian  chief,  was  leader.  Tecumseh  was 
one  of  the  ablest  of  the  Indians.  The  Indians  were  de 
feated  at  Tippecanoe  by  General  William  Henry  Harrison. 

The  British  impressed  American  sailors,  passed  severe 
laws  restricting  trading,  and  refused  to  grant  American 
requests.  War  broke  out  between  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States.  The  Americans  were  remarkably  successful 
in  naval  warfare,  but  suffered  many  reverses  on  land.  Peace 
was  made,  but  before  news  of  it  reached  America,  General 
Jackson  repulsed  a  British  attack  upon  New  Orleans,  and 
won  a  great  victory.  Jackson  was  elected  President  in 
1828,  and  reflected  in  1832.  He  was  honest,  but  prejudiced 
and  self-willed.  He  was  a  great  believer  in  rewarding  his 
friends  with  public  office. 

Tell  the  story  of  Andrew  Jackson's  youth. 
Describe  his  life  in  Tennessee. 
Tell  an  anecdote  to  show  his  quickness  of  temper. 
What  led  to  a  war  with  the  Indians  ? 
Tell  the  story  of  Tecumseh. 
What  led  to  the  War  of  1812  with  Great  Britain? 
Give  some  account  of  the  war. 
Tell  about  the  battle  of  New  Orleans. 
What  kind  of  a  man  did  Andrew  Jackson  make  ? 
What  rule  did  he  follow  in   making  appointments  to  public 
office? 


CANALS,  RAILROADS,  TELEGRAPHS,  AND 
OTHER  INVENTIONS. 

THE  people  of  the  United  States  learned  from 
the  War  of  1812  the  necessity  of  better  means  of 
travelling  and  of  conveying  goods  from  one  part  of 
the  country  to  another. 

Except  near  the  sea,  or  where  there  were  bays, 
rivers,  or  lakes,  there  was  no  better  way  to  trans 
port  goods  than  in  wagons  or  on  the  backs  of 
horses  or  mules.  For  months  in  the  year,  the 
roads  throughout  the  country  were  so  bad  that  it 
was  almost  impossible  to  use  them  for  hauling. 
Even  in  summer,  hauling  was  slow  and  costly, 

While  Jefferson  was  President,  Congress  appro 
priated  money  toward  building  a  great  national 
road  from  Cumberland,  Maryland,  to  the  West. 
This  road  benefited  only  a  part  of  the  country, 
helping  chiefly  the  trade  of  Philadelphia  and 
Baltimore. 

New  York  had  a  large  trade  along  the  coast  and 
on  the  Hudson  River,  but  not  with  the  interior 
country.  She  wished  to  secure  a  part  of  this 
inland  trade.  It  was  believed  that  a  canal  from 
Lake  Erie  to  the  Hudson  River  would  accomplish 

this. 

277 


278          History  of  the  United  States. 


Many  men,  on  the  other  hand,  thought  this  proj 
ect  a  wild  one.  Even  President  Jefferson  said: 
"  You  talk  of  making  a  canal  three  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  long  through  the  wilderness.  It  is  a  little 
short  of  madness  to  think  of  it  at  this  day." 

Those  men,  however,  who  had  the  matter  at 
heart,  persevered,  and  in  1817  the  canal  was  begun. 

De  Witt  Clinton,  a 
prominent  citizen  of 
the  State  of  New 
York,  was  greatly  in 
terested  in  having 
this  canal  made,  and 
perhaps  it  is  not  too 
much  to  say  that  had 
it  not  been  for  him 
it  might  never  have 
been  finished. 

Like  so  many  other 
men  who  have  made 


DE  WITT  CLINTON. 

After  the  portrait  by  C.  Ingham. 

great  plans,  Clinton  was   ridiculed,  and  the  canal 
was.  called  "  Clinton's  Big  Ditch." 

The  canal  was,  indeed,  a  stupendous  work  for  the 
times.  It  had  to  be  carried  by  bridges  over  streams; 
ledges  of  rock  had  to  be  cut  through,  and  where 
there  were  long  hills,  or  rapid  descents,  locks1  were 

1  A  canal  lock  is  a  part  of  the  canal,  confined  within  walls,  and 
having  gates  at  each  end.  By  means  of  these  gates  the  level  of  the 
water  in  the  locks  can  be  raised  or  lowered,  and  the  boat  rises  or  falls 
with  the  water. 


Inventions. 


279 


necessary,  by  means  of  which  canal  boats  could  be 
raised  and  lowered. 

It  took  eight  years  to  finish  the  great  work.  The 
water  was  to  be  let  in  from  Lake  Erie  on  the 
25th  of  October,  1825.  To  give  notice  to  those 


LOCKS  ON  THE  ERIE  CANAL. 

As  first  constructed. 


who  lived  along  the  banks  of  the  canal  and  the 
Hudson  River,  cannon  were  placed  every  five  miles 
from  Buffalo  to  New  York  City. 

When  the  gates  were  opened  the  first  gun  was 
fired,  then  that  at  the  next  station,  and  so  on.  The 
first  one  sounded  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 


280          History   of  the    United  States. 

one  hour  and  a  half  later  the  last  gun  was  fired  five 
hundred  miles  away,  at  New  York. 

As  the  first  canal  boat  passed,  gayly  decorated 
with  flags  and  streamers,  there  was  great  rejoicing. 
The  travellers  on  it  were  received  with  cheers  and 
salutes,  and  when  they  reached  New  York  City 
there  was  a  great  celebration. 


ENTRANCE  TO  THE  ERIE  CANAL  AT  TROY. 

From  an  old  print. 

Governor  Clinton  emptied  a  cask,  which  had  been 
filled  at  Buffalo  with  the  water  of  Lake  Erie,  into 
New  York  Bay,  thus  representing  the  meeting  of 
the  sea  and  the  lakes  through  the  Erie  Canal. 

The  canal  more  than  fulfilled  the  hopes  of  those 
who  planned  it.  It  offered  such  an  easy  way  to  go 
to  the  West  that  it  helped  wonderfully  in  develop 
ing  that  vast  region.  It  brought  so  much  grain  and 


Inventions.  281 

produce  to  New  York  that  the  trade  of  that  city  was 
greatly  increased,  and  it  became  the  largest  city  in 
America.  Before  the  Erie  Canal  was  constructed, 
Philadelphia  was  larger  than  New  York. 

Other  states  built  canals,  but  none  was  so  success 
ful  or  so  important  as  the  Erie  Canal.  This  want 
of  success  was  due  partly  to  the  character  of  the 
country  through  which  they  passed,  and  partly  to 
the  introduction  of  railroads. 

Less  than  one  hundred  years  ago  the  speediest 
means  of  getting  from  place  to  place  was  by  horses, 
just  as  it  was  in  the  time  of  the  Greeks  and 
Romans. 

As  soon  as  it  was  found  that  steam  could  be  used 
as  a  power  for  moving  machinery,  men  at  once 
began  to  think  about  some  way  to  make  machinery 
move  ships,  wagons,  and  carriages. 

The  steamboat  has  already  been  described.  About 
twenty  years  after  Fulton's  trial  of  the  Clermont  on 
the  Hudson  River,  George  Stephenson,  at  Darling 
ton,  England,  made  the  first  successful  railroad  loco 
motive.  Stephenson  had  formerly  been  a  laborer  in 
an  English  coal  mine. 

The  first  passenger  railroad  in  America  was  the 
Baltimore  and  Ohio,  which  was  begun  in  1828. 
Soon  there  were  others  built  in  all  parts  of  the 
country,  except  the  extreme  west. 

The  railroad  could  be  built  almost  anywhere.  If 
the  hills  were  too  high  to  be  crossed,  they  could  be 


282          History  of  the  United  States. 


tunnelled,  or  if  tunnelling  was  too  costly,  the  rails 
could  be  laid  around  the  hills ;  streams  could  be 
bridged,  or  passengers  could  be  ferried  over  them. 
Even  swamps  could  be  crossed  by  driving  in  piles 
and  building  trestle  work  on  which  to  lay  the  track. 
This  seems  a  matter  of  course  to  us  now,  but  every 
thing  was  very 
different  seventy- 
years  ago ;  it  is 
hard  to  imag 
ine  what  a  vast 
change  the  rail 
road  has  made 
in  the  condition 
of  the  country. 

Towns  and  vil 
lages  sprang  up 
along  the  rail 
way,  as  they  had  formerly  along  the  rivers.  New 
states  were  rapidly  settled.  The  wheat,  corn,  oats, 
and  other  crops  of  the  farmer  were  easily  and  safely 
carried  to  market,  and  woollen  and  cotton  cloth, 
manufactured  articles  generally,  and  all  needed  sup 
plies  were  brought  back  to  him. 

Railroads  and  canals  are  among  the  most  impor 
tant  bands  which  hold  the  country  together.  If  it 
were  not  for  the  easy  means  of  communication 
which  they  afford,  the  country  would,  doubtless, 
long  ago  have  been  divided  into  two  or  more 
independent  nations. 


BALTIMORE  AND  OHIO  RAILROAD,  1830. 

From  an  old  print. 


Inventions. 


283 


The  telegraph  is  an  invention  which  followed  not 
many  years  after  the  railroad.     It  had  long  been 


THE    FIRST  TRAIN  ON  THE  CAMDEN  AND  AMBOY  RAILROAD. 

known  that  electricity  could  be  carried  along  vari 
ous  substances,  and  scientific  men  had  thought  that 
messages  might  be  conveyed  by  electricity ;  but  no 
one  had  found  a  satis 
factory  way  of  doing  it. 
Samuel  F.  B.  Morse, 
an  American  artist,  be 
came  much  interested 
in  electricity  and 
magnetism.  He  had 
heard  of  various  at 
tempts  to  convey  in 
telligence  by  means  of 

electricity,    and   while    LETTER.CARRIER  OF  THE  OLDEN  TIME, 
on     a     voyage     from 

Europe  to  America,  in  1832,  he  thought  much  about 
the  matter.  Before  he  had  reached  America  he 
had  made  a  drawing  of  an  instrument  which,  with 


284          History  of  the  United  States. 


the  aid  of  wires,  he  thought  would  accomplish  the 
desired  end. 

Five  years  later  he  constructed  an  instrument  with 
which  he  was  able  by  means  of  wires  to  send  a  mes 
sage  for  a  short  distance.  Morse  at  once  saw  that 
messages  could  be  sent  a  great  distance  if  wires 

were  properly  arranged. 

His  invention  was  very 
simple,  and  there  was  very 
little  about  it  that  was  origi 
nal.  After  it  was  described, 
it  seemed  strange  that 
scientific  men  had  not 
thought  of  his  method 
before. 

Morse,  like  almost 
inventors,  had  much 
contend  with.  He  was 
poor,  and  had  it  not  been 
for  a  young  man,  named 
Alfred  Vail,  who  persuaded  his  father  to  lend  Morse 
some  money,  it  is  quite  possible  that  there  would 
have  been  failure  after  all. 

Vail  was  an  excellent  mechanic,  and  helped  very 
much  in  the  construction  of  the  instruments.  He 
also  secured  for  Morse  a  patent  for  the  invention. 

In  order  to  bring  his  invention  before  the  public, 
Morse  asked  Congress,  at  Washington,  to  give  thirty 
thousand  dollars  to  be  used  in  constructing  a  tele- 


all 
to 


SAMUEL  F.  B.  MORSE. 

From  the  last  approved  photograph. 


Inventions.  285 

graph  line  between  Baltimore  and  Washington,  a 
distance  of  forty  miles.  Some  of  the  members  of 
Congress  made  all  manner  of  sport  of  Morse's 
project.  One  member  proposed  that  the  money 
should  be  spent  in  making  a  railroad  to  the  moon. 

There  seemed  little  prospect  that  the  bill  grant 
ing  the  money  would  be  passed.  The  story  is  told 
that  Morse,  weary  and  heart-sick,  sat  hour  after 
hour  in  the  gallery  of  the  Senate  Chamber,  waiting 
for  his  bill  to  come  up  before  Congress  adjourned. 
When  evening  came,  and  there  seemed  no  chance 
for  its  passage,  he  went  to  his-  hotel  utterly  dis 
couraged,  and  prepared  to  leave  for  New  York 
early  the  next  day,  as  his  money  was  exhausted. 

The  next  morning,  while  he  was  at  breakfast,  a 
young  lady  came  in  and  said,  "  I  congratulate  you." 
"  Upon  what  ? "  said  Morse,  who  was  feeling  very 
blue.  "  On  the  passage  of  your  bill."  "  Impossible." 
"No,"  said  she,  "it  was  passed  five  minutes  before 
the  adjournment."  "  Well,"  said  Morse,  "you  shall 
send  the  first  message  over  the  lines." 

The  line  was  constructed  with  the  money  thus 
secured.  When  all  was  ready  Morse  kept  his  prom 
ise,  and  Miss  Annie  G.  Ellsworth  sent,  at  the  sug 
gestion  of  her  mother,  the  words,  "  What  hath  God 
wrought!"1  This  was  on  May  25,  1844.  It  was 
not  many  years  before  there  were  telegraphs  over 
all  civilized  lands. 

1  Numbers  xxiii.  23. 


286          History  of  the  United  States. 

Morse  and  others  showed  very  soon  that  wires,  if 
properly  protected,  could  be  laid  under  water,  and 
so  rivers  and  streams  proved  no  barrier.  But  this 
was  not  all ;  telegraph  lines  were  to  encircle  the 
earth ;  the  ocean  must  be  crossed. 

Cyrus  W.  Field,  a  wealthy  New  Yorker,  was  sure 
that  a  cable  of  telegraph  wires  could  be  laid  from 
shore  to  shore  of  the  Atlantic.  Such  an  under 
taking  would  be  very  costly,  and  it  was  a  long  time 
before  a  sufficient  number  of  persons  in  Europe  and 
in  America  could  be  induced  to  subscribe  to  an 
enterprise  apparently  so  foolish. 

Two  attempts  to  lay  a  cable  on  the  bottom  of 
the  ocean  were  failures.  But  in  1858  a  cable  was 
successfully  laid,  through  which  Queen  Victoria  and 
President  Buchanan  exchanged  messages  of  con 
gratulation.  A  number  of  other  messages  were  also 
sent,  but,  in  less  than  a  month,  the  wires  ceased 
to  work. 

It  was  harder  than  ever  to  get  subscriptions  for 
a  new  cable ;  but  Mr.  Field  was  indefatigable,  and 
crossed  the  Atlantic  very  many  times  in  the  inter 
est  of  the  cable  company.  Finally  he  succeeded  in 
his  efforts. 

A  new  cable  was  made,  and  the  Great  Eastern 
the  largest  vessel  afloat,  was  chartered  to  lay  it. 
More  than  half  had  been  laid  when  the  cable 
broke,  and  the  end  fell  into  the  sea  and  was  lost. 
This  was  a  very  great  disappointment. 


Inventions. 


287 


Even  now  Mr.  Field  and  his  companions  were 
not  cast  down.  The  next  year  a  new  cable  was 
successfully  laid.  Not  only  was  this  done,  but  the 
lost  cable  was  picked  up  from  the  bottom  of  the 
ocean,  another  cable  was  spliced  to  it,  and  this  one 
also  worked.  This  was  in  1866. 

Many  other  cables  have  been  laid,  connecting 
America,  Europe,  Asia,  Africa  and  Oceanica.  Men 
have  become  so  accustomed  to  hearing  the  news  of 


THE  "  GREAT  EASTERN  "  PICKING  UP  THE  CABLE  OF  1865. 

the  world  every  day,  that  it  is  hard  to  realize  that 
this  great  invention  is  so  recent. 

It  is  largely  by  means  of  steamboats,  railroads, 
and  telegraphs  that  our  great  Union  is  made  possi 
ble  ;  the  whole  world,  also,  is  bound  closer  together, 
for  through  them  men  of  different  countries  learn 
to  know  each  other  better,  and  to  see  that  all 
nations  have  many  interests  in  common.  These 
improved  means  of  communication  tend  to  make 


288  History  of  the  United  States. 

men  value  peace  more  highly.  More  than  this,  for 
when  difficulties  arise  between  nations,  it  is  much 
easier  to  arrange  matters  now  than  when  it  took 
three  months,  and  sometimes  longer,  to  get  an 
answer  to  a  question.  Had  there  been  a  cable 
to  England  in  1812,  very  probably  there  would 
have  been  no  war  at  that  time. 

So  we  see  that  steamboats,  railroads,  and  tele 
graphs  are  great  helps  in  increasing  civilization  and 
in  making  men  wiser  and  better. 


OUTLINE 

After  the  War  of  1812  the  people  of  the  United  States 
turned  their  attention  to  domestic  matters.  Means  of  com 
munication  between  different  parts  of  the  country  were 
poor.  Roads  and  canals  were  planned.  The  Erie  Canal 
was  constructed  and  became  a  great  benefit  to  New  York. 
Many  other  canals  were  planned.  Railroads  were  intro 
duced  about  1830.  These  greatly  increased  the  develop 
ment  of  the  country  and  helped  to  bind  different  parts  of 
the  Union  together.  The  first  practical  telegraph  was 
invented  by  Morse.  From  a  telegraph  on  land  it  was  not 
a  long  step  to  telegraphs  under  water  called  cables.  These 
now  circle  the  globe.  Steamboats,  railroads,  and  telegraphs 
are  great  helps  in  civilization. 

How  was  trade  carried  on  with  the  western  country  in  early 
days? 

Tell  the  story  of  the  building  of  the  Erie  Canal.  Tell  the  story 
of  the  opening  of  the  Canal. 


Inventions.  289 

When  were  railroads  introduced  into  America? 
What  effect  did  canals  and  railroads  have  on  the  settlement  of 
the  country? 

Tell  the  story  of  the  invention  of  the  telegraph. 

Tell  the  story  of  the  first  messages. 

Tell  the  story  of  laying  telegraphic  cables  under  the  ocean. 


20 


OREGON.  — WHITMAN'S   RIDE. 

THE  great  West,  particularly  the  Oregon  country, 
was  thought  by  many  able  men  in  the  United 
States  to  be  of  little  value.  This  opinion  was  held 
for  many  years  ;  even  Daniel  Webster  said :  "  What 
do  we  want  with  the  vast,  worthless  area,  this 
region  of  savages  and  wild  beasts,  of  deserts,  of 
shifting  sands  and  whirlwinds  of  dust,  of  cactus  and 
prairie  dogs?  What  can  we  hope  to  do  with  the 
western  coast  .  .  .  rockbound,  cheerless,  and  unin 
viting,  and  not  a  harbor  on  it  ?  "  Other  men  spoke 
quite  as  strongly. 

A  few  settlers  from  the  Eastern  states,  attracted 
by  the  reports  of  Lewis  and  Clark,  had  gone  to 
Oregon  and  some  of  the  churches  had  become 
interested  in  the  Indians,  and  had  sent  out  mis 
sionaries  in  1834  and  1836.  One  of  these  mission 
aries  was  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman,  of  the  State  of  New 
York;  it  was  he  who,  in  1836,  took  the  first  wagon 
across  the  Rocky  Mountains  —  an  undertaking 
which  had  been  said  to  be  impossible. 

290 


Oregon.  291 

Dr.  Whitman  and  his  fellow-missionaries  were 
charmed  with  the  beautiful  forests,  the  fertile  fields, 
the  mountains,  and  the  rivers  of  that  far  western 
land.  They  found  that  the  English  already  had 
fur-trading  stations  and  some  settlements  in  Ore 
gon  ;  and  Dr.  Whitman  became  sure  that  it  was 
their  purpose  to  gain  possession  of  the  land  by 
bringing  as  many  settlers  as  possible  into  the  coun 
try.  He  believed  that  the  only  way  for  the  Ameri 
cans  to  keep  Oregon  was  to  bring  in  more  settlers 
than  the  English  had  done. 

One  day,  while  dining  at  an  English  station,  he 
witnessed  the  arrival  of  a  messenger  with  the  news 
that  a  large  colony  of  English  settlers  were  coming. 
A  young  Englishman  in  the  company  was  so  pleased 
that  he  sprang  to  his  feet,  crying,  "  Hurrah  for 
Oregon!  America  is  too  late.  We  have  got  the 
country ! " 

Dr.  Whitman  was  convinced  that  his  view  was 
correct.  He  saw  also  how  important  it  was  that 
the  English  plan  should  be  known  to  the  govern 
ment  at  Washington  before  any  treaty  should  be 
made  with  England,  and  that  the  urgent  need  of 
inducing  more  American  settlers  to  emigrate  to 
Oregon  should  be  brought  home  to  the  American 
people. 

Dr.  Whitman  said  nothing,  but  within  twenty-four 
hours  he  had  left  the  station,  and  in  less  than  three 
days  was  on  his  way  to  the  East.  His  journey  and 


292          History  of  the  United  States. 

its  purpose  were  kept  a  profound  secret.  He 
started  on  his  long  horseback  ride,  October  3, 
1842.  He  was  accompanied  by  a  fellow-settler, 
Amos  L.  Lovejoy,  and  by  a  guide.  They  had 
three  pack-mules. 

By  making  a  great  effort,  they  reached  Fort  Hall 
in  eleven  days,  a  ride  of  six  hundred  and  forty 
miles.  This  was  an  English  fort,  and  was  situated 
in  what  is  now  the  southeastern  corner  of  Idaho. 

The  commander  of  the  fort  did  all  he  could  to 
persuade  Dr.  Whitman  to  give  up  his  purpose  of 
riding  to  St.  Louis.  He  said  that  the  snow  was 
twenty  feet  deep  among  the  mountains ;  that  the 
rivers  could  not  be  crossed ;  that  the  Pawnee  and 
Sioux  Indians  were  at  war  with  each  other,  and  that 
it  would  be  almost  certain  death  to  enter  their 
country. 

The  only  effect  that  these  words  had  upon  Whit 
man  was  to  make  him  follow  a  different  route  to  the 
East. 

The  little  party  found  heavy  snowdrifts  and  en 
countered  terrible  snowstorms  At  one  time  the 
guide  refused  to  go  any  farther,  and  confessed  that 
he  had  lost  his  way.  They  sought  to  retrace  their 
steps  to  their  last  camp,  but  the  snow  had  covered 
their  path.  They  had  given  themselves  up  for  lost, 
when  one  of  the  mules  was  seen  to  bend  his  ears 
forward.  The  guide  at  once  cried  out,  "  This  mule 
will  find  the  camp  if  he  can  live  to  reach  it!  "  The 


Oregon. 


293 


reins  were  thrown  upon  the  mule's  neck,  and  he  was 
allowed  to  do  as  he  pleased. 

The  mule  seemed  to  understand  what  was  wanted 
of  him,  and  starting  off,  went  on  through  snowdrifts, 
down  precipitous  paths,  on  and  on,  until  he  stopped 
over  a  piece  of  ground  nearly  bare  of  snow.  To 
their  amazement  the  men  recognized  the  place  as 
the  camping  ground  they  had  left  early  in  the  morn- 


WHITMAN'S  RIDE. 

ing.  A  few  embers  were  still  glowing,  and  they 
soon  had  a  roaring  fire. 

Their  guide  now  refused  to  stay  with  them,  and 
Whitman,  in  order  to  secure  another  one,  was  forced 
to  return  to  a  trading-post  which  they  had  passed 
days  before. 

When  they  reached  Grand  River,  they  found  it 
frozen,  except  in  the  middle  of  the  stream.  The 
guide  said,  "  It  cannot  be  crossed."  Dr.  Whitman 
replied,  "  It  must  be  crossed."  He  took  a  pole  with 


294          History  of  the  United  States. 

him,  compelled  his  horse  to  swim  the  open  stream, 
and  then  breaking  the  ice  on  the  opposite  shore 
with  his  pole,  helped  his  horse  to  get  to  the  bank. 
He  soon  had  a  good  fire,  and  the  rest  of  the  party 
also  crossed  the  stream. 

When  their  provisions  gave  out,  they  killed  and 
ate  a  dog  which  had  followed  them.  At  another 
time  they  killed  one  of  their  mules,  the  meat  of 
which  lasted  them  a  number  of  days. 

Once,  when  the  time  for  camping  came,  there  was 
no  fuel.  On  the  opposite  side  of  a  stream  near  by 
there  was  plenty  of  wood.  The  river  was  covered 
with  thin  ice,  hardly  strong  enough  to  bear  a  man. 
Whitman  took  an  axe,  lay  down  on  the  ice,  and 
worked  himself  across.  Having  cut  sufficient  wood, 
he  returned  in  the  same  manner,  pushing  the  wood 
before  him.  In  cutting  the  wood  he  split  the  handle 
of  his  axe,  but  bound  it  together  with  a  piece  of  deer 
thong.  That  very  night  a  thievish  wolf,  attracted 
by  the  deer  thong,  carried  off  the  axe,  handle  and 
all.  It  was  fortunate  that  this  happened  near  the 
end  of  their  journey,  for  had  such  a  loss  happened 
earlier  it  would  have  been  a  very  serious  matter. 

When  they  reached  Fort  Bent,  about  a  thousand 
miles  from  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Lovejoy  was  so  worn  out 
that  he  remained  behind,  while  Dr.  Whitman  went 
on  with  a  party  just  starting  for  the  East  When 
he  arrived  at  St.  Louis,  in  the  latter  part  of  Febru 
ary,  he  was  rejoiced  to  hear  that  the  Oregon  ques- 


Oregon.  295 

tion  was  not  yet  settled.  "  I  am  still  in  time,"  he 
cried.  He  hastened  on  to  Washington,  which  he 
reached  March  3,  1843. 

No  wonder  that  men  and  women  stopped  to  look 
at  him  as  he  walked  about  the  streets.  He  wore 
coarse  fur  garments,  buckskin  breeches,  a  buffalo- 
skin  coat  with  a  hood,  fur  leggins,  and  boot  moc 
casins —  the  same  suit  in  which  he  had  crossed  the 
plains. 

He  saw  President  Tyler,  and  Daniel  Webster, 
Secretary  of  State,  and  gave  them  such  information 
that  there  was  no  longer  any  talk  of  a  boundary  for 
Oregon  south  of  the  forty-ninth  parallel  of  latitude. 
He  published  a  pamphlet  setting  forth  the  advan 
tages  of  Oregon,  and  describing  the  way  to  reach  it. 
His  companion  in  his  adventurous  ride,  who  had 
followed  him  to  St.  Louis,  also  spread  the  notice 
far  and  wide  that  Dr.  Whitman  and  he  would  per 
sonally  conduct  a  party  of  emigrants  to  Oregon. 

A  large  number  of  emigrants  started  from  St. 
Louis.  Dr.  Whitman  had  been  delayed,  but  over 
took  them  by  the  time  they  reached  the  Platte  River. 
The  company  consisted  of  about  a  thousand  men, 
women,  and  children,  with  about  a  hundred  and 
fifty  emigrant  wagons,  each  drawn  by  twelve  oxen. 
There  were  also  more  than  a  thousand  horses  and 
cattle. 

Day  after  day  the  long  caravan  toiled  along. 
When  night  came  the  wagons  were  ranged  in  a 


296          History  of  the  United  States. 

circle,  the  tpams  unyoked  and  let  loose  to  pasture. 
Fires  were  lighted  by  which  to  cook  the  supper, 
tents  were  pitched,  sentinels  were  posted,  and  every 
thing  was  made  ready  for  the  night. 

After  supper  the  company  would  gather  within  the 
circle  of  the  wagons,  the  children  would  roll  and 
tumble  on  the  ground  in  sport,  some  one  would  bring 
out  a  violin  or  flute,  and  the  young  people  would  en 
joy  a  dance.  The  older  persons  would  tell  stories 
of  adventure,  discuss  the  journey  still  betore  them, 
or  plan  for  their  life  in  the  far-away  western  land 
for  which  they  were  bound.  By  ten  o'clock  all  was 
quiet,  and  nothing  was  to  be-  heard  but  the  "  All's 
well  "  of  the  sentinels,  as  they  walked  back  and  forth 
on  their  night  watch. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  caravan  was  on  its  way 
again.  Twenty  miles  was  a  good  day's  journey. 
Late  in  September,  1843,  the  party  reached  its  des 
tination  on  the  Columbia  River.  No  such  band  of 
emigrants  had  ever  been  seen  in  Oregon  before;  no 
such  band  had  ever  crossed  the  continent. 

Dr.  Whitman  had  done  his  work  well.  He  had 
carried  news  of  the  value  of  Oregon  to  the  govern 
ment;  he  had  spread  truthful  reports  throughout  the 
land;  he  had  brought  back  a  large  number  of  set 
tlers  to  confirm  the  claim  of  the  United  States:  in 
a  word,  he  had  saved  Oregon  for  his  country.  He 
had  done  this  without  receiving  or  expecting  any 
pecuniary  reward.  He  believed  that  Oregon  right- 


Oregon. 


297 


fully  belonged  to  the  United  States,  and  that  it 
would  be  more  prosperous  under  American  rule. 
His  motives  were  patriotic  and  seem  to  have  been 
wholly  unselfish. 

Whitman  returned  to   his   station,  and   for   the 
next  four  years  devoted  himself  to  his  missionary 


WHITMAN  STATION. 
Scene  of  the  massacre. 

work.  Then  the  Indians,  who,  in  some  way,  had 
become  stirred  up  against  the  missionaries,  murdered 
him,  his  wife,  and  thirteen  others,  and  carried  off 
forty  men,  women,  and  children  as  captives. 

OUTLINE. 

For  many  years  the  Great  West  was  thought  to  be  of 
little  value.     Dr.  Marcus  Whitman  went  to  the  Oregon  coun- 


298          History  of  the  United  States. 

try  as  a  missionary  in  1836.  He  was  greatly  pleased  with 
the  country.  He  feared  that  the  English  would  gain  it, 
and  he  resolved  that  the  government  and  people  of  the 
United  States  should  be  informed  of  the  worth  of  Oregon. 
He  rode  on  horseback  to  St.  Louis  on  his  way  to  Wash 
ington.  It  was  a  terrible  winter  ride.  He  led  back  a  large 
band  of  emigrants.  He  was,  a  few  years  later,  killed  by 
Indians. 

What  was  thought  of  the  value  of  the  great  West  ? 

Who  was  Dr.  Whitman? 

How  did  he  think  Oregon  could  be  kept  for  the  United  States? 

Describe  his  ride  to  St.  Louis. 

How  was  he  dressed  ? 

What  did  he  accomplish? 

NOTE.  —  Since  the  foregoing  chapter  was  printed,  it  has  been  maintained 
by  some  able  students  of  American  History  that  the  chief  object  of  Dr.  Whit 
man's  winter  ride  was  not  "to  save  Oregon,"  but  business  connected  with  the 
Mission  Station.  It  is  also  claimed  that  Dr.  Whitman  did  not  influence  the 
action  of  the  United  States  government  at  Washington.  As  these  questions 
are  still  under  discussion,  the  chapter  has  been  left  as  originally  printed. 


TEXAS.  — MEXICAN   WAR.  —  CALIFORNIA. 

DURING  the  time  of  which  we  have  been  reading, 
the  country  was  steadily  growing  in  wealth  and 
population.  The  settlement  of  the  United  States 
was  spreading  farther  and  farther  west.  The 
prairies  were  planted  with  corn  and  wheat,  while 


CHICAGO  IN  1820. 

From  an  old  print. 

towns  and  cities  grew  up  along  the  rivers  and  lakes 
and  on  the  lines  of  railways. 

By  1846,  the  original  number  of  states  had  been 
doubled.  States  were  formed  west  of  the  Missis 
sippi  River,  and  in  the  North  and  the  South.  Such 
were  Iowa,  Missouri,  Arkansas,  and  Louisiana. 

299 


300          History  of  the  United  States. 

Southwest  of  the  state  of  Louisiana  there  was  a 
great  country  belonging  to  Mexico,  known  as  Texas. 
Into  this  country  American  settlers  began  to 
venture.  They  found  it  attractive  and  fertile,  and 
year  by  year  more  settlers  came  until  there  were 
many  Americans  in  Texas. 

It  was  not  an  easy  life  for  them.  Some  of  the 
Indians  were  hostile.  The  Mexicans,  who  had  at 
first  invited  Americans,  became  jealous;  as  descend 
ants  of  the  Spaniards  they  were  not  much  pleased 
to  see  active  Anglo-Saxons  taking  possession  of  the 
best  parts  of  their  country. 

Many  of  the  Americans  were  pioneer  settlers, 
like  those  of  the  earlier  days  in  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee.  Others  were  persons  who  had  not 
been  successful  at  home,  and  who  hoped  to  do  better 
in  a  new  country.  Some  were  men  who  had  found 
Texas  a  safe  refuge  from  their  creditors,  and  a 
few  were  fugitives  from  justice.  Texas  was  in 
those  days  truly  a  frontier  country,  resembling  many 
of  the  more  eastern  states  in  their  early  history. 

The  Mexican  law  forbade  slavery,  but  notwith 
standing  this,  some  of  the  settlers  brought  slaves 
with  them,  calling  them  "  servants." 

In  1836,  the  Americans  and  some  of  the  Mexicans 
in  Texas,  declared  their  independence  of  Mexico, 
and  set  up  the  republic  of  Texas.  One  of  the 
causes  that  led  to  the  revolution  was  the  refusal  of 
Mexico  to  establish  free  schools. 


Texas.  —  Mexican  War. — California,     301 

Before  Jong  Texas  asked  to  be  annexed  to  the 
American  Union  as  one  of  the  states.  This  was  very 
natural,  because  Americans  formed  the  greater 
part  of  her  population,  and  she  was  hardly  strong 
enough  to  sustain  a  government  of  her  own. 

There  was  great  difference  of  opinion  among 
the  people  of  the  United  States  in  regard  to  this 
request.  The  Southern  states  wished  to  have 
Texas  in  the  Union,  because  many  of  the  Texans 
were  Southerners,  and  because  its  admission  would 
increase  the  territory  where  slavery  was  allowed, 
and  so  would  increase  the  influence  of  slaveholders 
in-  Congress.  There  were,  of  course,  many  people 
in  the  South  and  in  the  North  who  favored  the 
annexation  of  Texas,  and  yet  did  not  believe  in 
slavery.  They  were  of  the  opinion  that  the  annex 
ation  would  greatly  benefit  the  United  States. 

The  Northern  states,  as  a  whole,  were  opposed  to 
the  annexation ;  they  did  not  wish  to  see  the  slave 
territory  of  the  Union  any  larger.  They  believed  also 
that  the  annexation  would  lead  to  a  war  with  Mex 
ico,  because  Mexico  had  never  acknowledged  the 
independence  of  Texas. 

Texas  was  admitted  into  the  Union  in  1845;  the 
expected  war  followed,  and  Mexico  was  defeated. 
In  the  treaty  of  peace  Mexico  ceded  to  the  United 
States,  in  exchange  for  a  large  sum  of  money,  a 
great  tract  of  country,  comprising  what  is  now  Cali 
fornia,  Nevada,  Utah,  most  of  New  Mexico,  Ari 
zona,  and  part  of  Colorado. 


go 2          History  of  the  United  States. 

In  1848,  almost  at  the  time  when  the  treaty  of 
peace  with  Mexico  was  signed,  gold  was  discovered 
in  California.  As  soon  as  the  fact  of  this  discovery 
became  known,  men  from  all  parts  of  the  United 


CSMtflKQM 

THE  OVERLAND  ROUTE. 

States  hastened  by  sea  and  by  land  to  the  gold 
fields.  Some  embarked  in  ships  and  went  around 
Cape  Horn,  a  voyage  of  three  or  four  months. 
Some  sailed  to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  then, 
crossing  the  country,  took  ships  on  the  Pacific 


A  CALIFORNIAN  WAGON  TRAIN. 

After  an  old  print. 

Ocean.      Some   took   the    long   journey   overland, 
across  the  great  plains  and  over  the  mountains. 

The  overland  route  was  the  hardest  journey  of 
all.  The  travellers  could  go  only  in  wagons  or  on 
horseback.  They  were  exposed  to  hostile  Ind- 


Texas.  —  Mexican  War.  —  California.     303 

ians  and  wild  animals.  They  suffered  much  from 
fatigue,  hunger,  and  thirst.  Long  afterward  their 
path  could  be  traced  by  the  abandoned  wagons,  and 
the  whitened  bones  of  the  horses  and  cattle  which 
fell  by  the  way,  and  even  by  the  bones  of  some  of 
the  poor  travellers  themselves. 


VIEW  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO  IN  1847. 

After  a  lithograph.    With  American  ships  in  the  harbor. 

The  recent  discoveries  of  gold  in  the  Klondike, 
Canada,  and  at  Cape  Nome,  Alaska,  and  the  rush  to 
these  new  gold  fields,  have  brought  back  to  many 
old  persons  the  memory  of  the  scenes  of  1849. 

By  the  end  of  the  year  1849  there  were  more 
than  a  hundred  thousand  persons  in  California. 
Seldom  had  there  been  seen  a  greater  mixture  of 
peoples;  by  far  the  greater  number  were  Ameri- 


304          History  of  the  United  States. 

cans,  but  there  were  also  Indians,  Mexicans,  Peru 
vians,  Europeans,  and  South  Sea  Islanders.  All 
these  were  working  side  by  side  in  the  search  for 
gold. 

The  California  gold  diggings  proved  to  be  among 
the  richest  in  the  world,  and  many  men  became 
very  wealthy ;  others  returned  to  their  homes  poorer 
than  when  they  left  them. 

California  became  a  state  in  1850.  In  addition 
to  her  mines,  she  has  vast  fields  of  grain,  and  thou 
sands  of  acres  planted  with  fruit  trees  of  all 
kinds ;  her  fruit  orchards  and  orange  groves  are 
unsurpassed. 

OUTLINE. 

Americans  began  to  settle  in  Texas,  which  was  part  of 
Mexico.  In  1836  there  were  many  Americans  in  that 
country,  and  they  declared  themselves  independent  of 
Mexico.  Soon  Texas  asked  to  be  annexed  to  the  United 
States.  The  North  opposed  annexation,  and  the  South 
approved.  Texas  was  admitted  to  the  Union,  1845.  War 
with  Mexico  followed.  The  United  States  acquired  from 
Mexico  what  is  now  California,  Nevada,  Utah,  most  of 
New  Mexico,  Arizona,  and  Colorado.  Gold  was  discovered 
in  California  1848.  There  was  a  great  rush  to  the  gold 
fields.  California  became  a  state,  1850. 

How  many  states  were  there  in  the  Union  in  1846? 

Where  was  Texas  ? 

What  sort  of  men  went  there  to  settle? 


Texas.  —  Mexican  War.  --  California.     305 

When  Texas  wished  to  join  the  Union  how  did  the  people  of 
the  North  feel? 

Those  of  the  South  ? 

When  was  Texas  admitted  to  the  Union  ? 

What  land  did  the  United  States  acquire  ? 

When  was  gold  discovered  in  California? 

Tell  how  the  seekers  after  gold  reached  California. 


21 


ABRAHAM    LINCOLN. 

AMONG  the  early  settlers  in  Kentucky  was  a  man 
named  Abraham  Lincoln,  who  had  come  there 
about  1780.  His  ancestors  were  among  the  colo 
nists  who  settled  near  Plymouth,  Massachusetts. 
Some  members  of  the  family  moved  to  New  Jersey, 
and  later  to  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania  (Berks 
County).  This  Abraham  Lincoln  and  his  family 
had  long  been  friends  of  the  Boones  ;  it  was  prob 
ably  due  to  Daniel  Boone  that  they  had  moved  to 
this  new  home. 

They  lived  in  a  stockade,  like  the  other  settlers, 
as  the  Indians  were  still  to  be  feared.  All  went 
well  for  eight  years.  Then,  one  day,  while  he  and 
his  three  sons  were  at  work  in  a  clearing,  the  father 
was  shot  and  killed  by  an  Indian.  This  misfortune 
appears  to  have  broken  up  the  family,  and  Thomas, 
the  youngest  son,  was  left  to  shift  for  himself. 

Thomas  Lincoln  was  a  carpenter,  and  was  suc 
cessful  enough  to  secure  a  farm  by  the  time  he  was 
twenty-five.  He  married  Nancy  Hanks  in  1806. 
The  young  couple  were  poor,  but  so  were  most 
of  the  early  settlers  in  the  West.  Their  life  was 
rough,  but  it  did  not  differ  from  that  of  other  pio 
neers  at  the  same  period.  Indeed,  the  life  of  the 

306 


Abraham  Lincoln. 


3°7 


ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 

From  a  photograph  taken  in  1860. 


308          History  of  the  United  States. 

Lincolns  can  be  taken  as  a  fair  example  of  that  of 
hundreds  of  others  in  the  new  settlements. 

Their  home  was  a  rude  log-cabin,  containing  only 
one  room,  having  but  one  door  and  no  window.  A 
large  chimney,  made  of  sticks  and  clay,  leaned 
against  the  cabin,  .which,  if  it  was  like  the  ordinary 
cabin  of  the  early  settler,  had  no  floor  but  the  earth. 
The  scanty  furniture  was  of  the  rudest  kind.  The 

table  and  chairs 
were  of  boards,  the 
legs  fastened  into 
auger  holes.  The 
bedstead  was  of 
poles,  and  was  sup- 
ported  by  the  logs 

HOUSE  IN  WHICH  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN          of    the  hoUSC  Oil  One 

WAS   BORN.  .    -,  ,  ,  ! 

side,    and     on     the 

From  a  photograph  of  the  reconstructed  log-cabin. 

other  by  stakes 

driven  into  the  earth  floor.  Most  of  the  dishes  were 
wooden;  the  spoons,  knives,  and  forks  were  of  iron. 

In  this  cabin,  situated  in  Hardin  County,1  Ken 
tucky,  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  future  President,  was 
born,  February  12,  1809. 

Abe,  as  he  was  called,  was  seven  years  old  when 
his  father  moved  to  the  southwestern  part  of  Indi 
ana.  The  country  was  thickly  wooded,  and,  in 
order  to  get  to  their  new  home,  it  was  necessary  to 
cut  a  roadway  through  the  forest. 

1  Now  La  Rue  County. 


Abraham   Lincoln.  309 

When  they  had  reached  their  destination,  the 
first  thing  to  be  done  was  to  build  a  "  half -faced 
camp."  This  was  a  log  hut  with  but  three  sides. 
There  were  no  doors,  no  windows,  no  floor  but  the 
earth.  It  was,  indeed,  nothing  but  a  shed.  All 
the  cooking  was  done  at  a  fire  in  front  of  the  open 


LOG-CABIN  FURNITURE. 


side  of  the  hut.  A  buffalo  skin  was  hung  across 
the  front  for  protection  in  winter. 

The  family  lived  in  this  "  half-faced  camp  "  for  a 
year,  and  then  a  cabin,  very  much  like  the  one  they 
had  left  in  Kentucky,  was  built.  This  cabin  had 
a  loft,  and  here,  on  a  heap  of  leaves,  young  Abe 
Lincoln  slept. 

The  boy  went  to  one  of  the  rude  "ABC  schools  " 
whenever  he  had  a  chance ;  but  he  used  to  say,  in 


310          History  of  the  United  States. 

after  years,  that  he  was  not  at  school  more  than  a 
year  all  together. 

He  was  eager  to  learn,  and  at  night  would  throw 
branches  of  spice-wood  bushes  on  the  fire  in  order 
to  get  more  light,  so  that  he  could  read  and  cipher. 
He  did  his  figuring  on  a  wooden  shovel,  or  smooth 
board,  with  a  charred  stick.  When  the  work  was 
done,  he  planed  it  off,  and  the  board  was  ready  for 
use  again. 

Young  Lincoln  read  every  book  that  he  could  lay 
his  hands  on.  Books  were  scarce  on  the  frontier, 
and  he  had  not  much  choice.  Among  them  were 
"  Robinson  Crusoe,"  Weems's  "  Life  of  Washing 
ton,"  a  "  History  of  the  United  States,"  "  ^sop's 
Fables,"  Bunyan's  "  Pilgrim's  Progress,"  and  the 
Bible.  Some  of  these  he  had  to  borrow.  Once  his 
borrowed  copy  of  Weems's  "  Washington  "  got  wet, 
and  to  pay  for  the  book  he  shucked  corn  for  three 
days. 

When  he  could  get  paper,  he  would  copy  long 
extracts  from  what  he  read,  using  a  pen  made  from 
the  feather  of  a  wild  fowl,  and  ink  made  from  the 
roots  of  briers. 

When  he  was  ploughing,  and  it  was  necessary  to 
give  the  horse  a  rest,  he  would  pull  out  his  book, 
perch  himself  on  the  top  of  a  "  worm  fence,"  and 
read.  He  soon  knew  more  than  any  of  his  com 
panions,  and  he  learned  to  write  an  excellent  hand. 

His  mother  died  when  he  was  nine  years  old,  and 


Abraham   Lincoln.  311 

her  loss  was  a  great  one  to  the  little  boy.  In  about 
a  year  his  father  married  again.  Lincoln's  step 
mother  was  an  able  and  energetic  woman.  She 
encouraged  him  in  all  his  efforts  to  read  and  to 
study,  and  her  stepson  became  very  fond  of  her. 
She  said  of  him,  many  years  afterward,  "  Abe  was 
a  good  boy  —  he  never  gave  me  a  cross  word  or 
look  ...  he  was  a  dutiful  son  to  me  always." 


A  MISSISSIPPI  FLAT-BOAT. 


If  young  Lincoln  dressed  like  the  boys  around 
him,  he  must  have  worn  roughly  tanned  deerskin 
trousers,  a  linsey-woolsey  shirt,  moccasins  on  his 
feet,  and  a  coonskin  cap  on  his  head. 

He  was  early  taught  to  swing  the  axe,  to  handle 
the  plough,  to  thresh  the  wheat  with  the  flail,  to  carry 
the  grain  to  the  mill,  and  to  do  all  kinds  of  work 
about  the  farm.  Besides  this,  his  father  taught  him 
his  own  trade  which  was  that  of  a  carpenter. 

He  grew  up  an  able-bodied,  active  young  man. 


312          History  of  the  United  States. 

He  was  six  feet  four  inches  tall,  and  of  great  strength. 
"  He  could  outwork,  outlift,  and  outwrestle  any 
man  he  came  in  contact  with."  He  was  good- 
natured,  obliging,  and,  in  fact,  very  popular.  He 
was  fond  of  telling  stories,  all  of  which  were  to  the 
point  and  often  very  amusing. 

When  he  was  nineteen,  he  went  to  New  Orleans 
on  a  flat-boat  as  a  "  bow-hand."      His  business  was 

to  WOI"k  at  tne  front  oars- 
The  unwieldy  flat-boats  were 
propelled  by  long  sweeps,  or 
oars,  each  of  which  often  re 
quired  two  men  to  handle 
it.  These  boats  were  loaded 
with  farm  produce,  and  with 
their  cargoes  were  sold  on 
reaching  New  Orleans.  This 

long  voyage  took  weeks  and  sometimes  months  to  ac 
complish.  For  this  work  on  the  flat-boat  Lincoln 
received  eight  dollars  a  month  and  his  passage 
back. 

Soon  after  his  return  from  New  Orleans,  his  father 
moved  to  Illinois.  Young  Lincoln  drove  the  ox- 
wagon  in  which  the  household  goods  were  carried. 
It  was  a  two  weeks'  journey. 

The  family  settled  in  central  Illinois.  Here 
Abraham  Lincoln  helped  to  build  the  Jog-cabin 
which  was  to  be  the  new  home,  and  with  the  aid  of 
a  companion  he  split  the  rails  to  fence  in  the  ten 


Abraham  Lincoln.  313 

acres  which  were  to  be  planted  with  corn  for  the 
first  year's  crop. 

After  seeing  his  father  and  his  family  settled,  and 
being  now  twenty-one  years  old,  he  "  struck  out 
for  himself."  He  had  little  or  no  money ;  and  one 
of  the  first  things  he  did  was  to  split  rails  to  pay 
for  enough  brown  jeans  to  make  him  a  pair  of 
trousers. 

He  took  whatever  employment  offered.  He 
worked  as  a  farm  hand,  as  a  rail-splitter,  and  as  a 
clerk  in  a  country  store.  Once,  late  in  the  evening, 
a  woman  came  to  buy  half  a  pound  of  tea ;  Lincoln 
weighed  it  out  correctly,  as  he  thought,  and  gave  it 
to  the  woman,  who  paid  him  and  went  off.  Next 
morning  he  found  that  he  had  put  a  four-ounce 
weight  on  the  scales.  He  closed  the  shop  and  went 
to  deliver  the  amount  of  tea  which  was  due  the 
woman. 

Another  time,  in  giving  change,  he  made  a  mistake 
of  six  and  a  quarter  cents ; 1  the  same  evening,  after 
the  store  was  closed,  he  walked  three  miles  to  return 
the  money.  Such  conduct  soon  won  for  him  the 
name  of  "  Honest  Abe." 

When  the  trouble  with  the  Indians,  known  as 
the  "  Black  Hawk  War,"  arose,  Lincoln  joined  the 

1A  coin  m  common  circulation  at  that  time  was  the  Spanish  half- 
real,  worth  six  and  a  quarter  cents.  It  bore  different  names  in  dif 
ferent  places,  as,  "picayune,"  "fippeny  bit,"  "sixpence."  It  went 
out  of  circulation  during  the  Civil  War. 


314          History  of  the  United  States. 

volunteers  and  was  made  captain  of  his  company. 
He  was  not  called  upon  to  take  any  very  active 
part,  but  his  chief  exploit  was  to  save,  at  the  risk 
of  his  own  life,  an  Indian  who  had  wandered  into 
the  soldiers'  camp. 

On  his  return,  in  1832,  Lincoln  and  another 
young  man  entered  into  partnership  and  bought 
out  a  country  store.  Lincoln's  main  object  in  life 
was  study  rather  than  trading,  and  he  trusted  too 
much  to  his  partner,  whom  he  supposed  to  be  a 
good  business  man.  The  young  man,  however, 
turned  out  to  be  a  worthless,  dissipated  fellow,  and 
it  was  not  long  before  the  business  proved  a  failure. 
Lincoln  was  now  responsible  for  several  hundred 
dollars,  which  it  took  him  years  to  pay. 

In  the  meantime  he  had  begun  the  study  of  law, 
had  mastered  surveying,  and  had  been  appointed 
village  postmaster. 

When  he  began  to  practise  law,  all  who  knew 
him  and  really  wanted  justice  were  glad  to  employ 
him,  because  they  were  sure  that  he  was  honest. 
He  never  would  say  anything  that  he  did  not  believe, 
and  if  he  was  satisfied  that  a  law  case  was  unjust, 
he  would  not  defend  it. 

Once  he  was  called  upon  to  defend  a  young  man 
who  was  charged  with  committing  murder.  A  wit 
ness,  who  was  an  enemy  of  the  prisoner,  declared 
upon  oath  that  he  saw  the  murder  committed  on  a 
certain  night  by  the  light  of  the  moon.  Lincoln 


Abraham  Lincoln.  315 

asked  him  to  repeat  his  statement,  and  after  this 
was  done  he  pulled  an  almanac  out  of  his  pocket, 
and  showed  that  there  was  no  moon  visible  on  that 
night.  The  accused  was  at  once  acquitted.  Lin 
coln  refused  to  take  any  fee  in  the  case,  because, 
years  before,  he  had  been  treated  with  great  kind 
ness  by  the  young  man's  mother. 

In  1834,  Lincoln  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
state  legislature.  In  order  to  take  his  seat,  he 
walked  the  entire  distance  to  Vandalia,  then  the 
state  capital,  about  a  hundred  miles.  In  1846,  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  United  States  Con 
gress  ;  in  this  position  he  distinguished  himself  by 
opposing  the  Mexican  War.  A  few  years  later 
(1850)  there  were  great  debates  in  Congress,  and 
discussions  over  the  whole  country  as  to  whether 
slavery  should  be  allowed  in  the  territories.  Lincoln 
spoke  boldly  against  any  increase  of  slave  territory. 

In  1858,  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  position  of 
United  States  Senator,  and  sustained  himself  in 
many  debates  in  the  state  of  Illinois  with  his  oppo 
nent,  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  Lincoln  was  not  chosen, 
but  he  gained  for  himself  a  wide  reputation  for  abil 
ity,  sound  sense,  and  honesty  of  purpose. 

In  1860,  Lincoln  was  invited  to  deliver  a  speech 
in  the  largest  hall  in  the  city  of  New  York.  The 
subject  was,  "  Slavery  in  the  United  States."  Few 
political  addresses  have  had  such  an  effect,  so  clear, 
so  forcible,  so  convincing  were  his  words. 


3  1 6  History  of  the  United  States. 

It  is  not  strange  that  when  the  convention  of  the 
Republican  party  met,  soon  after,  to  choose  a  can 
didate  for  President,  Abraham  Lincoln  was  nomi 
nated.  He  was  elected;  and  the  former  backwoods 
boy,  rail-splitter,  country  storekeeper,  surveyor,  law 
yer,  became  President  of  the  United  States. 


OUTLINE. 

The  Lincoln  family  originally  came  from  near  Plymouth, 
Massachusetts.  They  moved  first  to  New  Jersey,  then 
to  Virginia,  then  to  Pennsylvania,  and  then  to  Kentucky. 
Thomas  Lincoln  lived  in  Hardin  County,  Kentucky.  Here 
Abraham  Lincoln,  his  son,  was  born,  February  12,  1809. 
When  he  was  seven  years  old  his  family  moved  to  Indiana 
and  later  to  Illinois.  They  lived  in  a  rude  cabin  like  other 
frontier  families.  Abraham  Lincoln  learned  to  cut  down 
trees,  split  rails,  and  to  do  all  kinds  of  farm  work.  He 
went  to  New  Orleans  on  a  flat-boat.  He  was  a  store 
keeper,  postmaster,  surveyor,  and  lawyer.  He  was  called 
"  Honest  Abe."  He  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  state 
legislature,  and  of  Congress.  He  was  elected  President 
of  the  United  States  in  1860. 

Where  did  the  Lincoln  family  originally  come  from  ? 

Describe  the  cabin  of  Thomas  Lincoln. 

Where  was  Abraham  Lincoln  born? 

To  what  state  did  the  family  move  when  he  was  a  little  boy  ? 

In  what  sort  of  a  hut  did  they  live  ? 

How  long  did  he  attend  school? 

Tell  how  he  taught  himself. 


Abr.aham   Lincoln.  317 

Name  some  of  the  books  he  read. 

Tell  what  his  stepmother  thought  of  him. 

Tell  how  he  was  dressed ;  what  he  learned  to  do  ;  how  he  went 
to  New  Orleans. 

What  did  he  do  when  the  family  moved  to  Illinois? 

Tell  stories  to  show  his  honesty. 

What  was  he  called  ? 

Give  an  account  of  him  as  a  storekeeper ;  as  a  lawyer. 

To  what  positions  did  his  fellow-citizens  elect  him  ? 

To  what  high  position  was  he  chosen  by  the  people  of  the 
United  States? 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 

THE  great  Civil  War  between  the  North  and  the 
South  began  in  1861,  soon  after  Abraham  Lincoln 
became  President.  There  had  been  for  a  long  time 
much  misunderstanding  between  the  people  of  the 
North  and  the  people  of  the  South ;  this  was  partly 
because  they  had  been  brought  up  very  differently, 
and  partly  because  they  knew  but  little  of  each 
other.  This  want  of  knowledge  on  the  part  of 
each  was  due  to  several  causes,  the  most  important 
of  which  were  the  following :  first,  the  main  lines  of 
travel  in  the  United  States  have  always  been  east 
and  west ;  men  have  gone  in  those  directions  rather 
than  north  and  south  ;  secondly,  there  were  few  rail 
roads  in  the  South ;  thirdly,  the  warm  climate  of  the 
South  was  not  attractive  to  the  men  of  the  Middle 
and  Northern  states ;  lastly,  the  Southern  system  of 
slavery  was  disliked  by  nearly  all  persons  in  the 
free  states,  and  many  thought  it  sinful. 

There  were  doubtless  other  reasons  for  this  mis 
understanding,  but  these  are  the  easiest  to  be  seen. 

The  Southern  people  generally  believed  that  slav 
ery  was  right;  very  many  of  the  Northern  people, 
on  the  contrary,  thought  that  it  was  wrong.  The 
Southern  people  also  believed  that  negro  slaves 

318 


The  Civil  War.  319 

were  necessary  for  raising  cotton  and  other  crops ; 
they  wished  to  take  their  slaves  into  the  territories, 
and  to  increase  the  number  of  states  in  which  slav 
ery  was  permitted.  The  free  states  had  become 
the  most  populous  and  numerous  ;  this  made  the 
slaveholders  feel  that  it  would  not  be  long  before 
the  Northern  states  would  take  some  steps  to  re 
strict,  perhaps  even  to  abolish,  slavery. 

In  the  North,  there  was  a  political  party  the  mem 
bers  of  which  were  called  Abolitionists;  they  believed 
that  slavery  should  be  abolished.  As  this  party  had 
supported  Abraham  Lincoln,  many  prominent  men 
in  the  Southern  states  feared  that  Lincoln  would 
interfere  with  slavery.  When  Lincoln  was  elected, 
they  thought  that  the  time  had  come  for  the  slave 
states  to  leave  the  Union,  or  to  secede  as  it  was 
called.  Before  he  was  inaugurated,  in  1861,  seven 
states  had  thus  seceded  and  claimed  to  be  out  of 
the  Union.1 

These  states  formed  themselves  into  a  new  gov 
ernment  called  "  The  Confederate  States  of  Amer 
ica."  Jefferson  Davis,  of  Mississippi,  was  chosen 
President,  and  Alexander  H.  Stephens,  of  Georgia, 
Vice- President,  of  this  confederation. 

The  great  majority  of  the  people  of  the  Northern 
states  were  of  the  opinion  that  no  state  had  the 
right  to  withdraw  from  the  Union;  they  did  not 

1  These  were  South  Carolina,  Mississippi,  Florida,  Alabama,  Geor 
gia,  Louisiana,  and  Texas. 


320          History  of  the   United  States. 

believe  that  the  Southern  people  meant  what  they 
said,  or  that  they  would  actually  fight  against  the 
Constitution  and  the  flag  under  which  they  had 
lived  so  long. 

President  Lincoln  was  very  much  misrepresented 
in  the  South.     He  was  careful  to  say  that  he  did 


THE  CAPITOL  AT  RICHMOND. 

not  think  that  the  Constitution  allowed  him  to 
interfere  with  slavery  where  it  was  legal,  but  he 
was  careful  also  to  say  that  he  did  not  believe  that 
a  state  could  secede  from  the  Union.  He  would 
not  recognize  the  Confederate  states  as  a  govern 
ment. 


The  Civil  War. 


321 


Fort  Sumter,  in  the  harbor  of  Charleston,  South 
Carolina,  was  one  of  the  United  States  forts;  it  was 
short  of  supplies,  and  the  Southern  authorities 
refused  to  allow  any  supplies  to  reach  it.  In  April, 
1 86 1,  the  Confederates  demanded  the  surrender  of 
Sumter ;  the  commander  of  the  fort,  Major  Robert 


FORT  SUMTER  BEFORE  THE  BOMBARDMENT. 

Anderson,  refused  to  yield.  On  the  morning  of 
April  1 2th,  the  Confederate  batteries  began  to  fire 
on  the  fort ;  the  bombardment  lasted  thirty-two 
hours,  and  ended  with  the  surrender  of  the  fort. 
The  garrison,  about  a  hundred  men  all  told,  was 
allowed  to  march  out  with  all  the  honors  of  war. 
Only  one  man  had  been  killed,  and  he  by  accident. 
This  attack  began  the  Civil  War. 

At  once  there  was  great  excitement,  North  and 
South.     Troops    were    enlisted   on   each  side,  and 

22 


322  History  of  the  United  States. 

large  armies  were  gathered.  The  Confederate  gov 
ernment  expected  that  all  the  Southern  states 
would  join  the  new  Confederacy,  but  only  four 
more  did  so,  making  eleven  in  all.1 

The  terrible  conflict  thus  begun  lasted  four 
years.  The  armies  on  each  side  fought  bravely. 
The  people,  both  North  and  South,  taxed  them- 


"\ 


MONITOR  AND  MERRIMAC. 

An  incident  of  the  Civil  War. 


selves  heavily  to  carry  on  the  war,  and  bore   the 
burden  ungrudgingly. 

There  was  great  suffering  on  the  battle-fields,  in 
the  hospitals,  and,  saddest  of  all,  in  the  military 
prisons.  Great  battles  were  fought,  and  there  were 
many  notable  exploits  on  sea  and  land.  There 
were  able  generals  in  the  Union  army,  such  as 

1  These  were  Arkansas,  North  Carolina,  Virginia,  and  Tennessee. 


The  Civil  War. 


323 


Ulysses  S.  Grant,  William  T.  Sherman,  Philip  H. 
Sheridan,  and  George  H.  Thomas.  In  the  navy 
such  men  as  David  G.  Farragut,  Andrew  H.  Foote, 
and  others,  more  than  sustained  the  reputation  of 
the  American  naval  officer.  In  the  Confederate 
army  there  were  able  generals  as  well :  Robert  E. 
Lee,  Joseph  E.Johns 
ton,  Thomas  J.  Jack 
son,  commonly  known 
as  "Stonewall"  Jack 
son,  and  J.  E.  B. 
Stuart. 

The  war  was  prin 
cipally  carried  on  in 
the  Southern  states. 
The  navy  of  the 
Union  blockaded1  the 
ports  of  the  Confed 
eracy,  so  that  very 
few  ships  could  bring 
in  supplies  or  carry 
out  cotton  to  pay 
for  the  goods  which 
were  needed. 

The  armies  of  the 
Union  shut  in  the  South  on  the  land  side  so  com 
pletely  that  the  Southern  people  could  get  very  few 
supplies  by  land.  Being  shut  in  by  land  and  sea, 

1  A  port  is  blockaded  when  no  vessel  is  allowed  to  go  in  or  come  out. 


FARRAGUT  IN  THE  MAIN  RIGGING. 

An  incident  of  the  Civil  War.     After  the  picture  by 
William  Page. 


324          History  of  the  United  States. 

and  having  very  few  manufactories  of  any  kind,  the 
people  suffered  greatly  for  many  articles.  Woollen 
cloth,  shoes,  pins,  needles,  medicines,  tea,  coffee, 
sugar,  salt,  and  many  other  things  were  almost  un 
obtainable. 


ULYSSES  S.  GRANT. 

From  a  photograph. 

Dried  herbs  or  leaves  of  various  shrubs  were 
used  instead  of  tea,  roasted  rye  or  wheat  instead  of 
coffee.  Men  and  women  wore  homespun  gar 
ments,  thorns  served  as  pins,  wall-paper,  and  indeed 
every  kind  of  paper  which  was  blank  on  one  side, 


The  Civil  War. 


3*5 


was  made  use  of  for  writing  and  printing,  and 
many  other  ingenious  devices  took  the  place  of 
what  had  been  considered  necessary.  The  South 
ern  people  bore  their  privations  courageously, 
because  they  believed  that  they  were  right  and 
were  fighting  in  defence  of  their  homes. 


MCLEAN'S  HOUSE,  APPOMATTOX  COURTHOUSE. 

In  which  General  Lee  surrendered  to  General  Grant,  gth  April,  1865.     From  a  photograph. 

This  system  of  blockade  and  of  cutting  off  sup 
plies  was  part  of  the  plan  of  the  Union  government 
to  bring  the  South  to  terms.  Without  such  meas 
ures  the  Union  forces  could  hardly  have  succeeded. 

Though  the  Northern  and  Western  states  were 
almost  wholly  free  from  the  presence  of  contending 
armies  and  the  ravages  of  war,  thousands  of  homes 
were  made  desolate  by  the  loss  of  husbands,  sons, 


326          History  of  the  United  States. 

and  brothers,  who  had  patriotically  left  all  to  save 
the  Union. 

Many  terrible  battles  were  fought  with  an  appall 
ing  loss  of  life.  At  last  the  South  became  exhausted. 
The  armies  of  the  Union  advanced  steadily  until  at 
length  Richmond,  the  capital  of  the  Confederacy, 


THE  GRANT  MONUMENT,  NEW  YORK. 

From  a  photograph. 

was  occupied  by  Union  troops.  A  few  days  later, 
General  Lee  surrendered  his  army  to  General  Grant 
at  Appomattox,  Virginia.  The  war  was  over. 

This  war  put  an  end  to  slavery  in  the  United 
States,  and  now  there  is  probably  no  one  who  would 
really  wish  it  back.  The  war  made  the  people  of 


The  Civil  War. 


327 


the  North  and  South  respect  each  other.  It  showed 
that  the  American  people  are  just  as  brave,  just  as 
patriotic,  just  as  self-sacrificing,  as  they  ever  were. 
The  union  of  the  states  was  preserved,  and  it  was 
shown  that  no  state  could  withdraw  from  the  Union. 

On  April  14,  1865, 
only  four  days  after 
Lee's  surrender,  Pres 
ident  Lincoln  was 
shot  by  an  assassin, 
and  the  rejoicing  over 
the  coming  of  peace 
was  changed  to  the 
deepest  mourning. 
The  whole  coun 
try  had  come  to  re 
gard  Abraham  Lin 
coln  as  worthy  of  the 
highest  "  confidence ; 
he  had  inspired  such 
admiration  and  affec 
tion  as  had  been  given  to  no  one  except  Washing 
ton.  His  loss  was  mourned  over  the  whole  world  as 
that  of  a  devoted  patriot,  and  a  good  and  great  man. 

OUTLINE. 

The  great  Civil  War  began  in  1861.  The  people  of 
the  North  and  the  people  of  the  South  did  not  understand 
each  other.  The  Southern  people  thought  slavery  was 


ROBERT  E.  LEE. 

From  a  photograph  in  1862. 


328          History  of  the  United  States. 

right;  the  Northern  people,  that  it  was  wrong.  The 
Southern  people  thought  that  a  state  could  leave  the 
Union  if  it  wished ;  the  Northern  people  did  not  believe 
in  secession,  as  it  was  called.  Seven  Southern  states 
seceded  and  formed  The  Confederate  States  of  America; 
four  other  states  joined  them  later.  Fort  Sumter,  in 
Charleston  Harbor,  was  bombarded.  This  began  the  con 
flict.  The  war  lasted  four  years.  It  was  carried  on  chiefly 
in  the  South.  The  people  of  the  South  suffered  much 
from  the  blockade  of  their  ports  which  cut  off  all  supplies. 
There  were  many  terrible  battles  and  great  loss  of  life 
on  each  side.  The  South  was  compelled  to  give  up  the 
struggle.  The  war  put  an  end  to  slavery,  and  showed 
that  no  state  could  leave  the  Union.  On  April  14,  1865, 
President  Lincoln  was  shot  by  an  assassin.  His  loss  was 
mourned  over  the  whole  world. 

Tell  why  the  people  of  the  North  and  the  people  of  the  South 
did  not  understand  each  other  better. 

How  did  the  people  of  the  South  look  upon  slavery  ? 
How  did  the  people  of  the  North  look  upon  it? 
Why  did  the  people  of  the  South  wish  to  leave  the  Union  ? 
How  many  states  seceded? 
What  name  did  the  seceding  states  take  ? 
How  did  the  people  of  the  North  look  upon  secession? 
What  did  President  Lincoln  say  ? 
Tell  about  the  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter. 
How  long  did  the  war  last  ? 
Name  some  of  the  generals  and  naval  officers. 
Tell  what  effect  the  blockade  had  on  the  people  of  the  South. 
What  questions  did  the  war  settle  ? 
•  What  sad  event  took  place  at  the  close  of  the  war  ? 
How  was  President  Lincoln  regarded  by  all  men  ? 


THE  UNITED  STATES  IN  RECENT  YEARS. 

THE  Northern  and  Western  states  soon  after  the 
Civil  War  settled  back  into  peaceful  life.  In  the 
South  the  people  had  lost  nearly  everything,  and 
many  of  them  had  to  make  a  fresh  start  in  life. 
The  state  and  local  governments  had  to  be  reorgan 
ized  and  many  difficult  questions  settled.  But,  as  the 
years  went  on,  the  South  recovered  from  her  losses 
and  prospered  greatly.  She  has  grown  larger  crops 
of  cotton  than  ever  before ;  many  railroads  have 
been  constructed,  many  mines  have  been  opened, 
and  many  new  manufactories  have  been  established. 

In  Virginia,  the  Carolinas,  Georgia,  and  Florida 
great  quantities  of  fruits  and  early  vegetables  are 
raised,  which,  by  means  of  steamers  and  rapid  rail 
road  trains,  find  a  ready  market  in  the  cities  of  the 
North  and  West. 

The  whole  country  has  steadily  increased  in  popu 
lation,  wealth,  and  prosperity,  notwithstanding  times 
of  depression  in  business. 

The  United  States  bought  the  great  Louisiana 
territory  in  1803;  later,  in  1819,  she  bought  Florida; 
later  still  Texas  was  annexed,  the  Mexican  Cession 
gained,  and  Oregon  secured.  Another  large  addi 
tion  of  territory  was  made  in  1867,  when  Alaska  was 

329 


330 


The  United  States  in  Recent  Years. 


331 


purchased  from  Russia.  This  great  territory  does 
not  touch  the  rest  of  the  United  States  at  any  point. 
It  has  a  scanty  population  of  Indians.  Except 
along  the  coast  the  winters  are  very  cold,  and  there 
is  much  ice  and  snow.  There  are  high  mountains, 
and  large  glaciers,  some  of  which  reach  to  the  sea ; 
from  these  huge  pieces  of  ice  break  off*  and  fall  into 
the  sea,  forming  icebergs.  Many  fur-bearing  ani 
mals  are  still  to  be  found  in  Alaska,  and  the  islands 
in  Bering  Sea  have  been  the  resort  of  thousands  of 
seals,  but  the  rapacity  of  the  seal  hunters  has  nearly 
destroyed  the  herds.  Alaska  is  rich  in  mineral 
wealth.  Gold  was  discovered  in  the  Cape  Nome  re 
gion  in  1898.  Owing  to  the  long  winters  and  the 
rigorous  climate,  it  will  never  be  a  second  California, 
but  it  is  already  of  'very  much  greater  value  than 
any  one  thought  possible  when  it.  was  bought. 

The  building  of  railroads  has  been  one  of  the  most 
striking  features  of  the  development  of  the  United 
States.  Settlement,  of  course,  came  in  the  East 
before  railroads;  but  in  the  West  settlement,  as  a 
rule,  has  gone  along  with  the  railroad,  without  which 
the  growth  of  towns  and  cities  would  not  have  been 
nearly  so  rapid. 

Men  felt  that  unless  there  was  some  quick  and 
easy  way  to  get  from  the  extreme  East  to  the  ex 
treme  West,  those  who  lived  on  the  Pacific  coast 
might  think  that  they  could  get  along  very  well 
without  those  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  and  those  on 


332          History  of  the  United  States. 

the  Atlantic  coast  might  care  very  little  for  those 
on  the  Pacific  coast.  This  feeling  led  to  the  con 
struction  of  the  Pacific  railroads. 

Congress  made  liberal  grants  of  land  and  money, 
and  the  work  of  building  the  Pacific  Railway  was 
begun  during  the  Civil  War.  The  road  was  started 
from  both  the  east  and  the  west.  On  the  loth  of 


VIEW  ON  THE  UNION  PACIFIC  RAILROAD,  COLORADO. 

From  a  photograph. 

May,  1869,  the  two  construction  parties  met  at 
Promontory  Point,  Utah.  The  junction  was  made 
with  great  ceremony.  The  last  rail  was  fastened 
with  a  gold  spike  from  California,  a  silver  one  from 
Nevada,  and  an  iron  one  from  Arizona.  Two  en 
gines,  one  from  the  east  and  one  from  the  west, 
blew  their  whistles  loud  and  long,  and  touched  each 
other  to  show  that  the  great  roadway  from  the 
Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  was  completed.  Other 


The  United  States  in   Recent  Years.      333 

Pacific  railroads  have  been  constructed  since,  and 
crossing  the  continent  is  no  longer  a  journey  to  be 
dreaded. 

When  men  in  Europe  wish  to  go  to  Japan  by  the 
quickest  route,  they  cross  the  Atlantic  to  America, 


WILLIAM  MCK.INLEY. 

Elected  President  of  the  United  States,  1896.     Photographed  by  Rockwood,  New  York. 

take  the  railroad  to  the  Pacific  coast,  and  embark 
in  an  ocean  steamer,  which  brings  them  to  Japan 
in  thirty  days  or  less  from  England.  Columbus 
was  right  when  hq  said  that  the  best  way  to  go  to 
the  east  was  by  going  west,  but  how  different  the 
journey  to-day  from  that  of  which  he  dreamed ! 


334          History  of  the   United  States. 

No  one  could  have  imagined  that  so  great  a 
nation  as  the  United  States  could  have  come  into 
existence  in  the  western  hemisphere.  The  wonder 
ful  prosperity  and  development  of  the  great  republic 
have  been  fiue  in  part  to  great  natural  advan 
tages,  but  these  alone  would  not  have  brought  suc 
cess.  Without  the  earnestness,  the  frugality,  the 
independent,  self-reliant  spirit,  and  the  love  of  con 
quering  difficulties,  all  of  which  are  characteristics 
of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  the  natural  advantages 
would  have  amounted  to  little. 

After  more  than  thirty  years  of  peace  the  United 
States  became  involved  in  a  war  with  Spain  in  1898. 
It  was  the  first  conflict  with  a  European  power  since 
1815.  For  years  Spain  had  oppressed  and  misgov 
erned  Cuba.  The  Cubans  rebelled.  Spain  made 
fair  promises  of  better  treatment,  but  they  were  not 
carried  out.  Again  the  Cubans  rebelled.  Accounts 
of  Spanish  cruelty  came  from  time  to  time  to  Amer 
ica,  causing  many  Americans  to  sympathize  warmly 
with  the  Cuban  insurgents.  The  large  and  profit 
able  trade  which  had  existed  between  the  United 
States  and  Cuba  was  almost  ruined.  The  condition 
of  the  Cubans  became  worse  and  worse. 

The  United  States  government  sent  the  battle 
ship  Maine  to  Havana  to  protect  American  inter 
ests.  On  February  15,  1898,  she  was  blown  up  and 
sunk  with  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  of  her  crew. 
The  feelings  of  the  great  body  of  the  American 


The  United  States  in   Recent  Years.      335 


people  were  so  wrought  up  that  Congress  soon 
passed  resolutions  declaring  that  Cuba  ought  to  be 
free,  and  that,  if  the  Spaniards  did  not  withdraw, 
the  United  States  should  compel  them  to  go.  Spain 
broke  off  all  relations  with  the  United  States.  The 
President  ordered  a  blockade  of  parts  of  the  Cuban 
coast,  troops  were  enlisted,  and  war  was  begun. 

The  United  States  had 
a  fleet  of  war  vessels  under 
Commodore  George  Dewey 
at  Hong-Kong,  China.  He 
was  ordered  to  the  Philip 
pine  Islands,  then  belong 
ing  to  Spain.  On  the  ist  of 
May  he  entered  the  harbor 
of  Manila,  and,  engaging 
the  Spanish  fleet,  captured 
or  destroyed  every  vessel, 
without  the  loss  of  one  of 
his  own  men. 

Meanwhile,  the  blockade 
of  Cuba  was  kept  up.  Spain  sent  a  fleet  to  Cuba ; 
this  fleet  was  blockaded  by  American  vessels  in  the 
harbor  of  Santiago,  and  when  it  ventured  out,  it 
was  pursued  and  totally  destroyed  by  the  American 
vessels,  with  the  loss  of  but  one  American  killed 
and  two  wounded. 

United  States  forces  had  been  landed  to  attack 
the  city  of  Santiago.     After  some  sharp  fighting  the 


GEORGE  DEWEY. 

From  a  photograph  taken  in  1899. 


336          History  of  the  United  States. 

city  surrendered.  Another  expedition  was  sent  to 
the  island  of  Porto  Rico.  With  little  difficulty  the 
American  troops  overran  a  good  part  of  the  island, 
but  before  the  capital  was  reached  Spain  had  sued 
for  peace. 

By  the  terms  of  the  temporary  agreement,  Spain 
was  to  give  up  all  claim  to  Cuba  and  to  cede  to  the 
United  States  Porto  Rico  and  the  island  of  Guam 
(one  of  the  Ladrones  in  the  Pacific  Ocean).  Manila 


MORRO  CASTLE,  OPPOSITE  HAVANA,  CUBA. 

From  a  photograph. 

was  to  be  held  by  the  United  States  until  a  formal 
treaty  of  peace  should  be  made.  The  war  had 
lasted  one  hundred  and  fourteen  days. 

Meanwhile,  the  Hawaiian  Islands  had  been  an 
nexed  to  the  United  States  in  July,  1898.  In  Feb 
ruary,  1899,  the  United  States  Senate  ratified  the 
treaty  of  peace  with  Spain  by  which  the  United 
States,  in  addition  to  what  had  been  agreed  upon, 
gained  the  Philippine  Islands. 

In  less  than  a  year  the  United  States  annexed 
the  Hawaiian  Islands,  Porto  Rico,  Guam,  and  the 
Philippines,  and  assumed  temporary  control  of 


The  United  States  in  Recent  Years.       337 

Cuba;  in  December,  1899,  by  agreement  with  Great 
Britain  and  Germany,  she  gained  Tutuila  and  the 
islands  near  it  of  the  Samoan  group  in  the  South 
Pacific.  The  United  States  has  thus  been  changed 


SENATE  AND  LEGISLATIVE  BUILDINGS,  HONOLULU,  HAWAII. 

From  a  photograph. 

from  a  strictly  American  power  to  one  of  world-wide 
extent.  It  is  not  possible  to  foretell  what  the  result 
of  this  change  will  be  upon  her  people  and  her 
institutions. 


OUTLINE. 

After  the  Civil  War  the  country  settled  back  into  peace 
ful  occupations.  The  South  began  a  new  career  of  pros 
perity.  Alaska  was  bought  in  1 867.  It  is  rich  in  mineral 
wealth.  The  railroad  has  been  of  the  greatest  help  in  the 
settlement  of  the  whole  country ;  it  has  been  a  means  of 
23 


338  History  of  the   United  States. 

uniting  the  East  and  West.  Natural  advantages  joined 
with  the  earnestness  and  self-reliant  spirit  of  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  race  have  been  the  means  of  developing  this  great 
country.  War  witrT  Spain  broke  out  in  1898.  Spain 
oppressed  Cuba.  The  people  of  the  United  States 
sympathized  with  the  Cubans.  The  Maine  was  sent  to 
Havana,  and  was  blown  up.  After  a  short  war  Spain 
sued  for  peace.  The  United  States  acquired  Porto  Rico, 
the  Philippines,  Guam,  and  assumed  temporary  control  of 
Cuba.  The  United  States  has  thus  been  changed  to  a 
world-wide  power. 

Tell  about  the  prosperity  of  the  South  after  the  Civil  War. 

Describe  Alaska. 

How  has  the  railroad  helped  to  develop  the  country? 

Tell  about  the  Pacific  railroads. 

Tell  how  it  is  that  the  United  States  has  been  so  prosperous. 

Tell  about  the  cause  of  the  war  with  Spain. 

What  did  the  United  States  gain  as  a  result  of  the  war  ? 


HISTORY   OF   CALIFORNIA. 

When  first  visited  by  Europeans,  the  country 
which  is  now  the  state  of  California  was  a  wild 
region,  but  a  beautiful  and  inviting  one.  In  many 
of  the  valleys  there  were  large  groves  of  oak  trees, 
which  looked  like  parks,  and  in  the  spring  time  the 
whole  country  was  covered  with  a  carpet  of  wild 
flowers.  Deer,  elk,  and  antelope  abounded  on  the 
plains,  and  in  the  streams  the  beaver  built  their 
dams. 

This  pleasant  region  was  inhabited  by  Indian 
tribes,  who  were  very  numerous,  but  had  no  com 
mon  government  or  language.  In  each  small  valley 
there  was  a  different  tribe,  whose  members  generally 
could  not  speak  the  tongue  of  their  nearest  neigh 
bors.  Except  for  a  few  tribes  in  the  north,  they 
were  not  warlike,  and,  in  fact,  they  were  usually 
lacking  in  the  energy  and  intelligence  possessed  by 
the  Indians  in  other  parts  of  the  country.  They 
were  not  great  hunters,  and  some  tribes  lived  almost 
entirely  on  the  fish  they  caught  and  the  acorns  and 
other  wild  fruits  which  they  gathered.  Their  only 
arts  were  basket-making,  tanning  skins  of  animals, 
and  fashioning  flint  arrows.  They  crossed  rivers  on 
rafts  made  of  bundles  of  reeds  called  tules. 

339 


340          History  of  the   United  States. 

Although  there  were  about  a  hundred  thousand 
of  the  California  Indians  at  the  time  of  the  Amer 
ican  conquest,  in  the  year  1900  only  fifteen  thou 
sand  of  them  remained. 

Though  the  existence  of  California  was  known  to 
Europeans  within  fifty  years  after  the  discovery  of 
America,  they  were  little  acquainted  with  the  coun 
try,  and  it  is  not  seventy  years  since  she  was  almost 
as  unknown  to  Americans  as  Patagonia  is  to-day. 

The  first  European  to  visit  the  coast  of  what  is 
now  the  state  of  California  was  Juan  Rodriguez 
Cabrillo,  a  Portuguese  explorer  in  the  service  of 
Spain.  This  was  in  1542-1543.  He  had  but  two 
small  vessels,  one  of  them  without  a  deck,  in  which 
to  make  his  voyage,  and  his  energy  and  persever 
ance  are  worthy  of  all  praise.  He  did  not  get  as  far 
north  as  San  Francisco  Bay,  for  cold  weather  came 
on,  and  he  returned  to  winter  at  San  Miguel,  one  of 
the  Santa  Barbara  Islands.  He  died  there,  but  not 
before  he  urged  his  successor,  Bartolome  Ferrelo,  to 
continue  to  explore  the  coast.  Ferrelo  probably 
reached  the  southern  part  of  the  present  state  of 
Oregon,  but  his  supplies  of  food  ran  short,  and  his 
vessels  began  to  leak,  so  he  was  forced  to  return 
south. 

There  was  little  to  tempt  the  Spaniard  to  go  on 
with  the  voyages  of  discovery.  It  is  true  that  the 
coast  was  attractive,  and  the  country  apparently  fer 
tile,  but  the  explorers  of  that  day  wished  for  more 


California.  341 

than  an  attractive  country  and  fertile  soil ;  they 
were  hunting  for  gold  and  silver,  and  though  there 
had  been  stones  that  gold  was  to  be  found  in  the 
land,  they  saw  no  signs  of  it.  Had  it  not  been 
for  circumstances  which  existed  almost  on  the  other 
side  of  the  globe,  the  Spaniards  would  very  likely 
have  left  California  altogether. 

Magellan,  who  in  1520  first  passed  the  strait 
which  bears  his  name  and  crossed  the  wide  Pacific, 
discovered  and  named  the  Philippine  Islands.  The 
Spaniards  found  these  a  source  of  wealth,  but  the 
passage  to  Spain  by  way  of  India  was  dangerous 
because  of  the  freebooters  who  sailed  in  those  south 
ern  seas.  On  the  broad  Pacific  there  was  little  risk 
of  capture,  and  so  the  clumsy  galleons,  richly  laden 
with  spices,  silks,  and  other  oriental  goods,  sailed 
eastward  from  the  Philippines  to  the  shores  of  Cali 
fornia,  and  went  down  the  coast  to  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama,  where  the  cargoes  were  unshipped,  carried 
across  the  isthmus  and  put  on  other  vessels  to  be 
taken  to  Spain  by  way  of  the  Atlantic.  Long  as 
this  voyage  was,  it  was  much  the  safer  one. 

Francis  Drake,  the  great  English  adventurer, 
on  his  famous  trip  around  the  world  (see  pages 
40-43),  sailed  along  the  coast  of  Oregon  and  Cali 
fornia,  until  he  came  to  a  bay,  probably  the  one  now 
known  as  Drake's  Bay,  where  he  cast  anchor,  June 
17,  1579.  Here  he  stayed  more  than  a  month,  re 
fitting  his  little  ship,  and  visiting  the  natives,  with 


342          History   of  the   United  States. 

whom  he  talked  by  means  of  signs.  Some  excur 
sions  were  made  inland,  and  about  these  one  account 
says:  "The  inland  we  found  to  be  far  different 
from  the  shore,  a  goodly  country,  a  fruitful  soil, 
stored  with  many  blessings  fit  for  the  use  of  man. 
Infinite  was  the  company  of  very  large  and  fat 
deer  which  we  saw  by  thousands  as  we  supposed 
in  a  herd."  Before  leaving,  Drake  set  up  a  plate 
of  brass  on  which  was  engraved  the  date  of  his  arri 
val,  the  name  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  the  willingness 
of  the  natives  to  be  ruled  by  her,  and  lastly  his  own 
name.  Because  of  its  white  cliffs  he  called  the  land 
New  Albion. 

About  twenty-five  years  after  Drake's  visit,  a 
Spaniard,  Sebastian  Viscaino,  visited  the  bays  of 
San  Diego  and  Monterey,  and  then  sailed  north 
ward,  stopping  from  time  to  time  to  visit  the  natives. 
He  went  about  as  far  north  as  Ferrelo  had  gone. 
With  the  voyage  of  Viscaino  Spanish  exploration 
ended  and  for  a  hundred  and  sixty  years  little  was 
heard  of  upper  California.  The  galleons  from  the 
Philippines  still  sailed  eastward  almost  to  Cape 
Mendocino,  and  then  turned  south  along  the  coast, 
but  Spain  took  no  steps  to  establish  stations  where 
the  ships  could  refit  or  obtain  supplies. 

At  length  the  Spaniards  were  roused  to  renewed 
efforts :  —  First,  by  the  knowledge  that  the  Russians 
were  exploring  the  northwest  coast  of  America 
southward  and  that  they  would  not  hesitate  to  seize 


California.  343 

any  unoccupied  land ;  secondly,  by  the  missionary 
zeal  of  the  Spanish  friars. 

In  1767  the  Jesuits  were  expelled  from  Mexico 
and  the  Franciscans  took  their  place.  Soon  after 
the  Spanish  government  at  last  took  steps  to  begin 
the  refitting  stations  for  the  Philippine  ships. 

The  direction  of  the  enterprise  was  given  to 
Jose  de  Galvez,  a  man  of  ability,  good  sense,  and 
energy.  The  object  was  about  equally  religious 
and  political.  If  the  natives  should  resist,  they 
were  to  be  conquered  by  force ;  if  they  yielded 
peaceably,  they  were  to  be  taken  in  charge  by  the 
friars,  taught  the  arts  of  civilized  life,  and  prepared 
for  citizenship.  The  friars,  however,  were  not  to 
be  landowners,  but  rather  tenants.  It  was  another 
part  of  the  plan  that  Spanish  colonists  should  be 
brought  out  to  the  new  country. 

The  first  of  four  expeditions  set  sail  from  La  Paz 
in  Lower  California,  January,  1769;  about  a  month 
later  another  ship  started.  The  other  two  expedi 
tions  were  to  go  by  land.  The  governor,  Portola, 
and  the  head  of  the  missionaries,  Father  Junipero 
Serra,  joined  the  last  expedition.  It  wras  not  until 
the  beginning  of  July  (1769)  that  all  four  parties 
met  at  San  Diego.  Portola  soon  started  on  the 
land  journey  to  Monterey,  but,  strange  to  say,  passed 
by  that  place  and  in  time  stumbled  upon  the  great 
San  Francisco  Bay,  hitherto  unknown  to  Europeans. 

Meanwhile  matters  were  not  going  on  well  at  San 


344          History  of  the  United  States. 

Diego.  Little  was  done  to  carry  out  the  plans  which 
had  been  made,  and  the  state  of  affairs  was  so  dis 
couraging  that,  as  had  been  the  case  in  Virginia  one 
hundred  and  sixty  years  before  (see  pages  59,  60), 
preparations  were  made  for  leaving  the  place  as  soon 
as  the  vessel  should  arrive  which  was  expected  from 
the  south.  Two  of  the  fathers,  Junipero  Serra  and 
Crespi,  were  determined  to  remain  and  not  to  forsake 
their  mission.  However,  when  the  vessel  arrived 
with  abundant  supplies,  no  one  thought  of  leaving, 
the  missionaries  took  fresh  courage,  and  a  new  land 
expedition  was  started.  In  June,  1770,  the  mission 
and  presidio  of  San  Carlos  Borromeo  de  Monterey 
were  founded.  These  are  the  beginnings  of  the 
missions  in  upper  California. 

The  missions  grew  rapidly  during  the  early  years. 
In  1787  there  were  nine,  and  the  monks  claimed 
three  thousand  converts;  by  1800  there  were  eigh 
teen  missions  and  more  than  thirteen  thousand  con 
verts.  The  story  of  these  missions  forms  the  most 
romantic  part  of  early  California  history.  The 
friars  were  earnest,  self-sacrificing  men  whose 
chief  aim  was  to  convert  the  Indians  to  Chris 
tianity.  It  was  not  very  hard  to  persuade  the 
Indians  to  become  Christians,  at  least  in  name. 

The  mission  fathers  kept  a  close  watch  over  their 
converts,  both  when  they  were  at  work  and  at  other 
times.  They  taught  them  how  to  plough,  to  sow, 
and  to  reap  the  grain.  Beside  the  fields  and  gar- 


California.  345 

dens,  there  were  great  ranches  where  sheep  and 
cattle  and  other  stock  were  raised  and  cared  for. 
Dams  were  built  across  the  streams,  and  long  irri 
gation  ditches  were  dug  and  kept  in  order.  The 
Indians  were  also  taught  to  spin,  to  weave,  to  work 
in  iron,  to  make  bricks,  and  to  hew  timber.  In  fact 
they  learned  almost  all  the  industrial  arts  possible 
in  such  a  country  so  far  away  from  civilization. 

The  mission  stations  were  very  attractive.  "  At 
every  mission  were  walled  gardens  with  waving 
palms,  sparkling  fountains,  groves  of  olive  trees, 
broad  vineyards,  and  orchards  of  all  manner  of 
fruits." 

Most  important  in  the  eyes  of  the  fathers  were 
the  religious  services  in  the  great  church,  which  was 
the  centre  of  every  mission.  Whatever  else  hap 
pened,  the  Indian  must  attend  these  services. 

The  Spanish,  and  later  the  Mexican,  authorities 
did  not  intend  these  missions  to  be  permanent,  for 
the  fathers  never  really  owned  the  land  which  they 
cultivated  with  so  much  care.  As  the  missions 
grew  rich,  men  became  greedy  for  their  wealth,  and 
tried  to  persuade  the  government  to  take  possession 
of  the  land  and  buildings,  in  the  hope  that  some  of 
the  property  would  sooner  or  later  come  to  them. 
At  last,  in  1834,  the  order  went  forth  and  the  mis 
sions  came  to  an  end.  The  fathers  had  to  go,  the 
Indians  soon  left,  church  after  church  fell  into  decay 
and  ruin,  gardens  and  orchards  and  farms  became 


346          History  of  the   United  States. 

wild,  and  the  long,  earnest  labor  of  the  fathers 
seemed  to  be  lost.  Of  the  twenty-one  missions 
which  were  founded,  only  two  remain  under  the 
care  of  the  fathers  —  those  of  Santa  Barbara,  which 
is  now  called  a  missionary  college,  and  San  Luis 
Rey. 

The  work  of  these  missions  seems  to  have  been 
almost  wasted.  The  fathers  appear  to  have  treated 
the  Indians  too  much  as  servants  ;  they  did  not  teach 
them  to  depend  upon  themselves,  and  when  the 
fathers  left,  the  Indians  either  could  not  take  care  of 
themselves,  or  were  too  indolent  to  work,  and  there 
fore  many  of  them  went  back  into  barbarism.  The 
remains  of  the  great  churches  are  among  the  most 
picturesque  ruins  in  America,  and  many  romantic 
stories  and  legends  are  told  about  them. 

It  was  a  part  of  the  plan  of  colonization  that  pueb 
los  (towns)  should  be  established.  Spanish  colo 
nists  were  to  live  in  these,  whose  chief  duty  was  to 
supply  the  missions  with  grain  and  other  needed 
articles.  The  sites  of  the  missions  are  now  chiefly 
known  by  their  names ;  San  Diego,  San  Francisco, 
Santa  Barbara,  San  Rafael  were  all  originally  Fran 
ciscan  mission  stations.1 

The  Spaniards  did  not  wish  to  have  anything  to 
do  with  foreigners,  but  they  could  not  keep  them 
away  altogether.  A  French  navigator,  La  Perouse, 

1  Not  all  such  names  signify  former  missions ;  San  Josd  and  Los 
Angeles,  for  instance,  were  pueblos. 


California.  347 

visited  California  in  1786,  and  Vancouver,  an  Eng 
lishman,  in  1792.  They  gave  the  outside  world 
the  fullest  account  of  California  that  had  yet  been 
given.  The  first  American  ship  to  reach  the  coast 
was  the  Otter,  of  Boston,  which  came  to  Monterey 
in  1796,  and  obtained  wood  and  water. 

The  Russians  had  established  a  colony  at  Sitka. 
This  colony  was  in  a  bad  way,  and  in  1806  a  Rus 
sian  officer  came  to  San  Francisco  for  supplies.  The 
story  goes  that  this  Russian,  after  great  difficulty, 
gained  what  he  wished  through  the  influence  of 
Dona  Concepcion,  the  beautiful  daughter  of  the 
Spanish  commandant.  The  couple  were  betrothed, 
but  the  Russian  soon  sailed  away  promising  to  return 
and  claim  his  bride ;  but  he  died  in  Siberia  on  his 
way  to  St.  Petersburg.  Weary  with  waiting  for  the 
return  of  her  lover,  of  whom  she  heard  nothing,  the 
beautiful  Dona  Concepcion  became  a  nun,  and 
spent  the  rest  of  her  life  in  a  convent.1 

The  Russians  were  not  satisfied  with  visits,  but 
tried  to  lay  claim  to  the  land  by  founding  a  station 
for  trading  with  the  Indians  for  furs.  This  station 
was  established  in  1812  at  Ross,  not  far  from  Bodega 
Bay.  Here  they  built  a  fort  and  kept  up  a  trading 
post  until  1842,  when  it  was  abandoned  as  they  were 
unable  to  secure  territory  from  Mexico. 

There  is  little  to  note  in  the  history  of  California 

1  She  lived  until  1857.  Whether  the  Russian  was  sincere  is  rather 
doubtful,  but  see  Bret  Harte's  poem  "  Concepcion  de  Arguello." 


348  History  of  the   United  States. 

for  the  first  thirty  or  forty  years  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  Matters  went  on  in  the  same  rather  dull 
way  year  after  year.  The  fathers  at  the  Missions 
and  the  people  at  the  pueblos  pursued  their  regular 
round  of  life.  There  was  little  advance  in  any  direc 
tion.  Life  was  a  simple  matter  and  no  one  seemed  to 
care  to  exert  himself  to  better  his  condition,  or  to  im 
prove  his  manner  of  living.  In  fact  the  Californian 
and  the  Spaniard  were,  in  almost  everything,  years 
behind  the  other  European  settlers  and  their  de 
scendants  who  lived  on  the  eastern  half  of  the  con 
tinent  of  North  America. 

In  1810  Mexico  began  to  rebel  against  Spain,  and 
in  1824  her  independence  was  established.  With 
the  loss  of  Mexico,  Spain  lost  California,  which  came 
under  the  rule  of  Mexico. 

The  population  of  Europeans  and  Americans  in 
creased  slowly.  Commerce  sprang  up  with  the 
United  States  around  Cape  Horn,  and  from  1822 
a  regular  and  profitable  trade  was  carried  on  with 
Boston,  Massachusetts.1 

But  the  Americans  were  coming  into  California  by 
land  as  well  as  by  sea.  The  overland  immigration 
began  about  1826.  The  pioneer  of  this  movement 
was  Jedediah  S.  Smith,  who  led  a  party  of  trappers. 
For  a  long  time  the  growth  in  numbers  was  small ; 

1  The  Boston  trade  began  in  1822  with  the  ship  Sachem,  which 
took  in  a  cargo  of  hides  and  tallow  at  Monterey.  The  character  of  this 
trade  and  some  of  its  hardships  are  graphically  described  in  Dana's 
"  Two  Years  Before  the  Mast.1' 


California. 


349 


as  late  as  1835  it  was  estimated  that  there  were 
not  more  than  three  hundred  foreigners  in  Cali 
fornia. 

On  the  whole,  foreigners  were  tolerated  with 
very  good  grace  up  to  the  year  1846.  During  the 
seven  or  eight  years  before  this  date  Americans 
settled  in  considerable  numbers  in  the  Sacramento 
valley.  The  centre  of  this  settlement  was  Captain 
Sutter's  fort.  John  A.  Sutter  was  a  Swiss  who  had 
become  a  naturalized  American  citizen.  He  came 
to  California  in  1839,  and  secured  a  large  grant  of 
land  from  the  Mexican  government.  With  the 
help  of  hired  Indians,  and  other  laborers,  he  raised 
large  crops  of  grain  and  became  well  to  do. 

In  1845  Sutter  was  visited  by  a  young  officer  of 
the  United  States  Engineer  Corps  with  his  party  of 
explorers.  This  officer  was  John  C.  Fremont,  who 
with  his  companions  had  made  a  trying  winter 
march  across  the  Sierras.  On  his  return  to  the 
eastern  states,  Fremont  published  an  account  of 
his  trip,  which  gave  the  people  of  the  United  States 
the  clearest  idea  they  yet  had  gained  of  the  Cali 
fornia  of  that  day. 

Already  expeditions  to  California  had  been 
planned,  and  some  had  started.  The  privations 
which  one  of  these  parties  underwent  are  almost 
too  horrible  to  relate.  Hunger,  cold,  snow,  which 
destroyed  their  cattle,  brought  them  to  such  a  des 
perate  condition  that  some  of  the  party  were  killed 


350  History  of  the   United  States. 

and  eaten.1  Other  immigrants  suffered  almost  as 
severely. 

The  United  States  government  had  cast  longing 
eyes  upon  California,  from  the  date  of  the  Louisiana 
purchase  (1803,  see  page  238),  but  was  content  to  let 
Spain  or  Mexico  keep  the  country  until  the  time 
should  be  ripe  for  it  to  be  brought  under  the  Stars 
and  Stripes.  There  was,  however,  an  ever  present 
fear  lest  some  European  power  should  seize  it.  As 
early  as  1842  an  American  naval  officer,  Commodore 
Jones,  hearing  that  a  war  had  broken  out  between 
the  United  States  and  Mexico,  sailed  into  Monterey 
harbor,  took  possession  of  the  port,  hauled  down 
the  Mexican  flag,  and  ran  up  that  of  the  United 
States.  He  met  with  no  opposition,  though  the 
inhabitants  did  not  know  what  to  make  of  his 
action.  The  next  day,  hearing  that  the  report  was 
false,  he  pulled  down  the  American  flag,  apologized 
to  the  authorities,  and  sailed  off.  The  United  States 
government  of  course  apologized  also  to  the  Mex 
ican  government,  and  nothing  came  of  the  incident, 
except  that  it  served  to  show  the  attitude  of  the 
United  States  toward  California. 

While  the  United  States  kept  a  close  watch  upon 
what  happened  in  California,  she  had  nothing  to  do 
with  the  tide  of  emigration  setting  toward  that 
region.  That  movement  was  the  result  of  natural 

1  This  was  the  Donner  party,  consisting  originally  of  eighty  men, 
women,  and  children.  The  remnant  which  survived  was  called  the 
"  Forlorn  Hope.11 


California 


351 


causes  acting  upon  the  ever  alert  and  restless  Anglo- 
Saxon  character. 

It  was  the  period  just  before  the  Mexican  war. 
A  naval  force  had  been  sent  to  the  Pacific  to  be 
ready  to  act  if  needful,  and  instructions  of  some 
kind  had  been  sent  to  Mr.  Larkin,  the  United  States 
consul  at  Monterey.  Captain  Fremont,  on  a  second 
expedition,  reached  the  San  Joaquin  Valley  in 
January,  1846.  He  had  about  sixty  men  and  two 
hundred  horses,  and  it  seemed  to  be  a  simple  sur 
veying  party.  It  was  not  strange  that  such  a  com 
pany  should  get  into  trouble  with  the  inhabitants. 
Fremont  was  notified  by  Castro,  the  Mexican 
general,  to  depart.  Fremont  at  once  took  up  a  posi 
tion  on  a  mountain  ready  to  meet  the  foe.  Castro  had 
no  desire  to  begin  a  fight,  and  so  Fremont  started 
on  his  march.  He  kept  moving  northward,  until  he 
reached  Klamath  Lake,  where  he  was  overtaken  by 
Lieutenant  Gillespie  from  Washington  with  some 
message.  Fremont  came  back  to  the  Sacramento 
Valley,  and  from  that  time  he  was  active  in  the 
affairs  which  gave  the  country  to  the  United  States. 

Meanwhile  a  curious  occurrence  took  place  which 
is  known  as  the  "  Bear  Flag  Incident."  It  arose 
in  this  way.  A  drove  of  horses  belonging  to  the 
government  of  California  were  being  taken  from 
Sonoma  southward  by  way  of  Sutler's  Fort  on  the 
Sacramento.  The  horses  had  just  forded  the  river 
when  they  were  seized  by  a  party  of  American  set- 


352          History  of  the   United  States. 

tiers.  The  men  driving  the  horses  were  set  free, 
but  the  horses  were  sent  to  Fremont's  camp. 

At  once  stories  arose  of  attacks  on  American 
settlers.  The  settlers  formed  in  a  body  and  marched 
to  the  unsuspecting  and  unguarded  town  of  Sonoma, 
and  seized  it  June  14,  1846.  Four  of  the  chief  citi 
zens  were  sent  as  prisoners  to  Sutter's  Fort.  In  the 
meantime  the  conquerors  were  joined  by  other  set 
tlers,  some  for  self-protection,  some  from  love  of 
adventure,  and  some  because  they  were  of  that  vaga 
bond  class  which  is  always  found  in  frontier  life. 
The  conquerors  held  Sonoma,  waiting  for  General 
Castro  or  for  Captain  Fremont,  or  for  both.  While 
thus  waiting  they  raised  a  flag  made  of  cotton 
cloth  with  the  rude  figures  of  a  star  and  a  bear 
painted  upon  it  in  red,  with  the  words  "  California 
Republic"  underneath;  along  the  bottom  of  the 
cloth  was  sewed  a  strip  of  red  flannel.  This  flag 
is  known  as  the  "Bear  Flag."  Though  the  brief 
rule  which  this  handful  of  men  exercised  has  been 
called  "  The  Bear  Flag  Republic,"  there  was  really 
no  government  and  no  country,  for  the  whole  num 
ber  of  men  was  under  seventy.  Fremont  now 
appeared  and  pursued  the  Mexican  forces  with  his 
band,  but  did  not  succeed  in  finding  them. 

While  these  proceedings  were  going  on,  a  far 
more  important  event  took  place.  It  was  a  result 
of  the  news  of  the  actual  outbreak  of  war  between 
Mexico  and  the  United  States.  The  United  States 


California.  353 

government  had  sent  to  Commodore  Sloat,  the 
American  officer  commanding  the  naval  forces  in 
the  Pacific,  orders  to  seize  the  Californian  ports 
as  soon  as  he  should  hear  that  war  had  broken  out. 
On  reaching  Monterey,  July  2,  1846,  Commodore 
Sloat  was  perplexed  by  the  reports  which  he  heard 
of  the  Bear  Flag  incident  and  of  Captain  Fre 
mont's  movements.  He  hesitated,  but  was  finally 
induced  to  proclaim  the  formal  seizure  of  California. 
This  he  did  by  raising  the  United  States  flag  at 
Monterey,  July  7,  1846.  There  was  no  opposition. 

Soon  Commodore  Sloat  was  succeeded  by  Com 
modore  Stockton.  Sloat  had  endeavored  to  gain 
California  by  peaceful  means.  Stockton  was  more 
warlike,  and,  after  consulting  with  Fremont,  sent 
some  men  to  capture  Los  Angeles,  for  all  the  north 
ern  part  of  California  was  under  American  control. 
Los  Angeles  was  easily  gained,  and  by  1847,  'm  spite 
of  a  revolt,  the  whole  country  was  in  the  hands  of 
the  United  States. 

By  the  treaty  of  peace  with  Mexico,  February  2, 
1848,  upper  California  was  ceded  to  the  United 
States.  The  news  of  this  treaty  did  not  reach 
California  until  about  six  months  later,  and  it  was 
officially  proclaimed  August  7,  1848.  The  country 
remained  under  military  rule,  for  no  state  or  terri 
torial  government  had  been  arranged. 

The  Swiss  immigrant  John  A.  Sutter  has  already 
been  mentioned.  He  determined  to  enlarge  his 
24 


354          History  of  the  United  States. 

business  by  building  a  saw-mill.  For  this  purpose 
he  employed  an  American  immigrant,  James  W. 
Marshall,  as  foreman.  While  enlarging  the  ditch 
which  carried  off  the  water  from  the  water-wheel, 
Marshall  noticed  some  glittering  particles  in  the 
dirt  along  the  banks.  His  curiosity  was  aroused ; 
he  tested  the  particles,  and  was  sure  that  they  were 
gold.  Marshall  took  them  to  Mr.  Sutter,  and, 
though  at  first  he  refused  to  believe  that  it  was 
gold,  he  too  was  at  length  convinced. 

The  discovery  was  made  in  January,  1848,  a  few 
days  before  the  treaty  of  peace  was  signed.  An 
attempt  was  made  to  keep  the  matter  secret,  but  it 
was  in  vain.  At  first  the  news  spread  rather  slowly, 
and  up  to  April  there  was  little  excitement  in 
the  small  towns  along  the  coast.  But  in  May  the 
rush  to  the  gold  fields  began,  and  in  the  course 
of  the  two  following  months  nearly  everybody  went 
to  the  mines.  Men  left  their  work,  clerks  the  stores, 
farmers  their  fields,  sailors  their  ships,  printers 
their  presses,  and  old  and  young  hastened  to  the 
gold  fields.  Only  the  military  officers  were  strong 
enough  to  resist  the  attraction;  it  was  impossible  to 
prevent  most  of  the  soldiers  from  deserting. 

The  news  reached  the  eastern  states  late  in  the 
year,  and  soon  a  stream  of  gold-seekers  started 
toward  California.  Thousands  went  by  sea  around 
Cape  Horn,  thousands  by  the  long  overland  route, 
and  thousands  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama. 


California.  355 

By  the  end  of  1849  one  hundred  thousand  men  had 
come  to  the  Pacific  coast.  These  were  the  famous 
"  Forty-niners,"  many  of  whom  became  so  prominent 
in  California  in  later  years  (see  pages  302,  303). 

During  the  excitement,  prices  rose  to  an  almost 
fabulous  height.  Eggs  were  $6  per  dozen,  milk 
seventy-five  cents  or  a  dollar  a  quart,  picks  and 
shovels  #15  to  $20  apiece,  and  other  articles  in  pro 
portion,  while  a  cook's  wages  were  $300  per  month. 
In  July,  1850,  so  great  was  the  rush  to  the  gold 
fields  that  it  was  said  that  five  hundred  vessels  lay 
in  San  Francisco  Bay  unable  to  sail  on  the  return 
voyage  for  lack  of  men,  as  all  the  sailors  had  deserted 
and  gone  to  the  gold  fields.  "  Many  of  these  ships 
were  sold  for  port  dues,  and  broken  up  for  building 
material ;  others  were  hauled  ashore  and  converted 
into  stores  and  lodgings ;  still  others  rotted  and 
sank  at  their  moorings." 

The  rewards  which  the  successful  digger  secured 
were  like  those  of  a  fairy  story,  for  miners  frequently 
made  from  $60  to  $100  per  day,  while  #500  to 
$700  per  day  was  by  no  means  uncommon.  Not 
withstanding  their  great  success,  many  lost  the  for 
tunes  they  gained.  Some  squandered  their  findings 
almost  as  soon  as  they  won  them ;  some  gambled 
them  away,  and  some  were  swindled  by  the  rascals 
who  always  infest  such  places.  Even  Sutter,  who 
had  owned  such  large  estates,  died  a  poor  man,  and 
Marshall,  the  actual  discoverer  of  the  gold,  did  not 


356  History   of  the   United   States. 

succeed  in  keeping  his  property.1  Among  the  thou 
sands  who  came  together  it  was  natural  that  there 
should  be  many  vagabonds,  lawless  men,  and  even 
criminals.  Some  kind  of  government  was  urgently 
needed,  but  though  California  belonged  to  the 
United  States,  Congress  had  taken  no  steps  toward 
framing  a  government,  and  the  people  were  actually 
left  to  themselves. 

When  it  was  found  that  Congress  had  adjourned 
without  doing  anything  for  California,  the  people 
demanded  that  the  military  governor  should  call  a 
convention  to  frame  a  constitution.  The  conven 
tion  met  in  September,  1849.  It  was  an  interesting 
assembly  of  forty-eight  men,  only  four  of  whom  were 
over  fifty  years  of  age.  It  was  decided  to  form  a 
state  government  and  apply  to  Congress  for  admis 
sion  to  the  Union  as  a  state.  By  a  popular  elec 
tion  state  officers,  a  legislature,  and  representatives 
to  Congress  were  chosen.  When  the  legislature 
met,  it  chose  as  United  States  Senators  John  C. 
Fremont  and  William  M.  Gwin.  It  was  not,  how 
ever,  until  September  9,  1850,  that  President  Fillmore 
signed  the  bill  admitting  California  as  a  state.2 

The  admission  of  California  did  not  bring  about 
law  and  order  in  the  state.  In  the  mining  dis- 

1  In  after  years  he  received  a  pension  from  the  state  on  account  of 
his  discovery. 

2  By  a  unanimous  vote  the  convention  inserted  a  clause  in  the  con 
stitution  prohibiting  slavery  forever  in  the  state.     In  1879  a  new  consti 
tution  was  adopted. 


California.  357 

tricts  lynch  law  prevailed  with  all  its  injustice  and 
degrading  influence.  In  the  towns,  and  particularly 
in  San  Francisco,  matters  were  possibly  worse  than 
in  the  camps.  Robberies,  assaults,  and  murders 
were  common  and  were  not  even  punished.  When 
affairs  became  unbearable,  about  1851,  some  of 
the  citizens  took  the  law  into  their  own  hands, 
seized  criminals,  tried  and  punished  them,  or  put 
them  to  death.  The  result  of  this  decisive  action, 
was  very  good,  but  in  a  few  years  matters  were  as 
bad  as  before  and  possibly  worse.  A  vigilance 
committee  was  formed,  of  about  three  thousand 
members.  This  committee  ruled  the  city  for  three 
months,  and  by  punishment  for  crime,  banishment 
of  criminals,  and  honest  elections,  secured  an  hon 
est  government,  so  that  the  people  of  San  Francisco 
at  last  enjoyed  law  and  order. 

The  Spaniards  had  been  careless  in  regard  to  the 
important  matter  of  land  titles.  Indeed,  in  many 
cases,  it  was  impossible  to  find  out  who  really  owned 
the  land.  Some  of  the  immigrants  did  not  believe 
that  the  native  Californians  had  any  right  to  the 
land,  and  paid  no  attention  to  Spanish  and  Mexican 
claims  or  titles.  At  Sacramento  the  quarrel  about 
titles  became  so  sharp  that  in  1850  riots  occurred 
in  which  several  persons  were  killed  or  wounded. 
Congress  passed  a  land  act  in  1851,  but  the  law  was 
not  wisely  framed,  and  the  state  was  not  free  from 
land  troubles  for  many  a  year. 


358  History  of  the   United  States. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  California  was 
loyal  to  the  Union.  On  account  of  her  great  dis 
tance  from  the  scene  of  the  conflict,  and  because  it 
was  before  the  days  of  the  Pacific  railroads,  she  could 
not  send  as  many  troops  as  some  other  states  of  the 
same  population,  yet  over  fifteen  thousand  Califor- 
nians  volunteered  for  service  in  the  war.  California 
also  furnished  what  was  needed  almost,  if  not  quite 
as  much  as  men;  namely,  money.  To  the  United 
States  Sanitary  Commission  she  sent  $1,234,257. 
Large  appropriations  were  made  for  coast  defences, 
and  $600,000  was  set  aside  for  a  Soldiers'  Relief 
Fund.  Her  whole  course  was  highly  creditable. 

The  Civil  War  showed  more  plainly  than  any 
thing  else  the  need  which  existed  for  closer  and 
quicker  means  of  communication  between  the  Pacific 
coast  and  the  central  and  eastern  states.  Indeed, 
it  was  not  until  late  in  1861  that  a  telegraph  line 
was  established  across  the  continent.  Before  that 
time  news  was  carried  by  ponies  between  Fort 
Kearney  and  Sacramento. 

Though  the  need  of  railroads  was  very  early  felt, 
the  enterprise  was  so  great  that  it  seemed  that 
only  Congress  or  the  states  most  nearly  interested, 
or  some  great  private  corporation,  could  under 
take  the  work.  At  length,  in  1861,  the  J  Central 

1  The  four  men  who  were  chiefly  interested  in  the  project  were 
Leland  Stanford,  Collis  P.  Huntington,  Mark  Hopkins,  and  Charles 
Crocker.  The  chief  civil  engineer  was  Theodore  D.  Judah. 


California. 


359 


Pacific  Railroad  Company  was  organized.  Liberal 
grants  of  land  and  money  were  secured  from  Con 
gress  for  two  roads,  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad 
on  the  west,  and  the  Union  Pacific  on  the  east  of 
the  mountains.  The  roads  were  to  be  built,  the 
one  eastward  and  the  other  westward,  until  they 
should  meet.  Ground  was  broken  for  the  Central 
Pacific  at  Sacramento  on  February  22,  1863,  and 
for  the  Union  Pacific  in  1865.  The  two  roads 
were  joined  at  Ogden,  the  last  nail  was  driven  May 
10,  1869,  and  the  great  work  of  uniting  the  east 
and  west  was  done.1  Since  that  time  three  other 
continental  roads  have  been  built,  and  the  commu 
nication  has  been  constant.  Besides  these  conti 
nental  lines,  railroads  have  been  built  running  north 
and  south,  with  branch  lines,  so  that  the  country  is 
well  supplied  with  transportation  facilities. 

Before  California  came  into  the  Union,  the  only 
systematic  education  furnished  was  that  given  by  the 
Mission  Fathers,  which  was  chiefly  religious.  With 
the  coming  of  those  who  had  been  brought  up  under  a 
free  school  system  a  change  was  sure  to  come.  The 
first  really  American  public  school  was  begun  at  San 
Francisco  in  1848.  From  this  beginning  has  grown 
the  present  public  school  system  of  the  state.  Cali 
fornia  is  rich  in  colleges,  with  her  great  State  Uni 
versity  at  Berkeley,  so  amply  endowed,  and  with 
the  Leland  Stanford  Jr.  University,  founded  and 

1  See  Bret  Harte's  poem,  "  What  the  Engines  Said.1' 


360          History  of  the   United  States. 

endowed  by  the  late  Leland  Stanford  and  his  wife, 
in  memory  of  their  only  child.  This  latter  univer 
sity  is  one  of  the  richest  institutions  of  learning  in 
the  world.  In  1903  these  two  universities  were 
attended  by  5090  students.  In  addition  there  are 
numerous  excellent  denominational  schools,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  state  normal  schools. 

The  labor  question  in  California  has  been  some 
what  different  from  that  in  other  states  on  account 
of  the  large  number  of  Chinese.  The  peculiar 
characteristics  of  these  immigrants,  or  rather  visitors, 
have  led  to  some  very  difficult  problems,  and  the 
feeling  against  these  foreigners  has  at  times  been 
exceedingly  strong.  It  was  so  strong,  that  Congress 
passed  the  Chinese  Exclusion  Act  in  1882. 

The  development  and  progress  of  California  have 
been  steady.  She  is  now  a  land  of  diversified  in 
terests  ;  her  annual  grain  crop  is  as  valuable  as  her 
gold,  her  fruit  products  are  more  than  equal  to  her 
gold  or  grain,  and  in  manufacturing  there  is  a  con 
stant  healthy  growth.  Her  shipyards  produced  the 
world-famed  Oregon.  San  Francisco  is  the  rnost 
important  port  on  the  Pacific  coast,  and  since  our 
acquisition  of  the  Philippine  and  Hawaiian  Islands, 
and  the  completion  of  the  Pacific  cable,  there  seems 
to  be  no  limit  to  the  possibilities  of  her  Pacific  and 
Oriental  trade.  Few  states  in  the  Union  are  more 
prosperous,  and  no  one  of  them  has  promise  of  a 
brighter  future  than  California. 


Index. 


Abolitionists,  319. 

Alaska,,  329. 

America,  discovered  by  Columbus,  18. 

origin  of  name,  30. 
Americus  Vespucius.     See  Vespucci. 
Andre,  Major,  207. 
Arnold,  Benedict,  treason  of,  206. 
Articles  of  Confederation,  211. 

Bacon,  Nathaniel,  118-121. 
Baltimore,   first   Lord,   in   Newfound 
land,  92. 

granted  land  on  the  Chesapeake,  92. 

his  powers,  93. 

dies,  93. 
Baltimore,  second  Lord,  93. 

sends  out  colonists,  93. 

makes  liberal  laws,  94. 
Berkeley,  Sir  William,  117-121. 
Boone,  Daniel,  219-230. 

his  character,  220. 

explores  Kentucky,  221-225. 

settles  in  Kentucky,  224. 

adventures,  227—230. 

dies,  230. 
Boston,  founded,  86. 

evacuated  by  British,  198. 

tea  party,  190. 

Braddock's  defeat,  180-182. 
Bunker  Hill,  battle  of,  196. 

Cables  (ocean  telegraphs),  286. 
Cabot,  John  and  Sebastian,  26-29. 
discover    the    continent    of   North 

America,  27. 
California,  301-304. 
Calvert,    George     and    Cecilius.     See 
Baltimore,  Lord. 


Calvert,  Leonard,  93. 
Canals,  278. 
Canonicus,  82. 

Cipango,  an  old  name  for  Japan,  2. 
Civil  War,  318-327. 
Clark,  William,  241. 
Clinton,  De  Witt,  278. 
Columbia  River  discovered  by  Gray, 
242. 

discovered  by  Lewis  and  Clark,  245. 
Columbus,  7-25. 

early  life,  7. 

plans  for  reaching  India  and  Japan,  8. 

in  Portugal,  9. 

in  Spain,  10-15. 

his  voyage,  15-22. 

discovers  America,  18. 

reception  in  Spain,  23. 

his  other  voyages,  24. 

as  a  ruler,  24. 

put  in  chains,  24. 

his  death,  25. 
Concord,  battle  of,  195. 
Confederate   states  of  America,  319, 

322. 

Congress.     See  Continental  Congress. 
Constitution  framed,  214. 
Continental  Congress,  the  First,  193. 

Second,  197. 

appoints  Washington  Commander- 
in-chief,  197. 

declares  independence,  198. 
Cornwallis,  Lord,  in  the  Revolution, 

198,  20 1,  207,  208. 
Cotton  gin,  262. 
Cuba,  334-336- 

United   States  assumes  control  of, 
336. 


362 


Index. 


Da  Gama.     See  Gama. 

Dare,  Virginia,  47. 

Davis,  Jefferson,  319. 

Declaration    of    Independence,    198, 

199. 
De  Leon,  Ponce,  32. 

discovers  Florida,  33. 
De  Soto,  Hernando,  34-37. 

goes  to  Florida,  34. 

discovers  the  Mississippi,  36. 

death,  37. 

Dewey,  George,  335. 
Drake,  Sir  Francis,  40-43. 

in  the  Pacific,  41-43. 

sails  round  the  world,  43. 
Dutch,  in  New  Netherland,  101-109. 

influence  in  New  York,  145. 

Eliot,  John,  99. 

England,  and  the  colonies,  187-194. 

War  of  Revolution,  194-211. 

War  of  1812,  270-274. 
English  explorers,  40-61. 
Ericsson,   John,    invents    steam    pro 
peller,  259.     - 
Erie  Canal,  278-280. 

Field,  Cyrus  W.,  286. 
Fitch,  John,  253-255. 

early  life,  253. 

invents  steamboat,  254. 
Florida,  discovered,  33. 
FranJdin,  Benjamin,  150-166. 

early  life,  150-154. 

as  a  printer,  155-158. 

marriage,  158. 

"Poor  Richard's  Almanac,"  159. 

inventions    and    discoveries,     160- 
162. 

public  life,  162-166. 

death,  166. 
French,  the,  aid  America,  204. 

at  Yorktown,  208. 
French  and  Indian  War,  176-184. 
French  explorers,  1 1 1-115. 


Frontier  life,  225-227,  308-312. 
Fulton,  Robert,  255-259. 

early  life,  255. 

invents  steamboat,  256. 

Gage,  General,  192-196. 
Gama,  Vasco  da,  31. 

reaches  India,  31. 
Gates,  General,  at  Saratoga,  203. 

at  Camden,  207. 
Genoa,  4,  7. 
Georgia,  founded,  134. 

origin  of  name,  134. 

becomes  a  royal  colony,  1 37. 
Germans  in  Pennsylvania,  147. 
Gold  in  California,  302. 
Gosnold,  Bartholomew,  48. 
Grant,  Ulysses  S.,  323-326. 
Greene,  Nathanael,  208. 
Guam,  island  of,  ceded,  336. 

Hadley,  Indian  attack  upon,  96. 
Harvard  College  founded,  142. 
Hawaii    annexed    to    United    States, 

336. 

Henry,  Prince  of  Portugal,  4. 
Hessians,  200. 
Hudson,  Henry,  62-66. 

employed  by  the  Dutch,  62. 

discovers  Hudson  River,  63-64. 

discovers  Hudson  Bay,  65. 

death,  66. 

Impressment  of  sailors,  270. 
India,  new  routes  to,  sought,  4. 

See  also  Columbus,  Cabots,  Hudson, 

Da  Gama. 
Indians: 

methods  of  fighting,  96-98,  223. 

King  Philip's  War,  95-99. 

troubles  with  the  Dutch,  104. 

and  William  Penn,  128-130. 

Tecumseh,  268. 
Inventors,  early,  253-264. 
Isabella,  Queen,  10,  12. 


Index. 


363 


Jackson,  Andrew,  265-275. 

early  life,  265-267 

congressman  and  senator,  267. 

at  New  Orleans,  273. 

President,  275. 

dies,  275. 
Jamestown,  Virginia,  founded,  52. 

attacked  and  destroyed,  119-121. 
Jefferson,  Thomas,  232-240. 

early  life,  232-235. 

and   the   Declaration   of   Indepen 
dence,  235. 

minister  to  France,  236. 

Vice-President,  236. 

President,  236-237. 

dies,  239. 
Joliet,  111-113. 
Jones,  John  Paul,  204. 

Kentucky,  explored  and  settled,  221- 

227. 

Kieft,  William,  104. 
King  Philip.     See  Philip. 
King  Philip's  War,  95-99. 

La  Salle,  113-115. 

Lee,  Robert  E.,  323,  326,  327. 

Lewis  and  Clark    explorations,    241- 

246. 

Lewis,  Meriwether,  241. 
Lexington,  battle  of,  195. 
Lincoln,  Abraham,  306-316. 

early  life,  306-314. 

President,  316. 

and  slavery,  320. 

and  secession,  320. 

assassinated,  327. 
Louisiana,  origin  of  name,  115. 

bought  from  France,  238. 

Maine  blown  up,  334. 
Mandeville,  Sir  John,  2. 
Manhattan  Island,  102. 
Manila,  battle  of,  335. 
Marquette,  Father,  111-113. 


discovers  the  Mississippi,  113. 
Maryland,  founded,  92-94. 

origin  of  name,  92. 

Massachusetts,    settlement   of,  67-83, 
85-91. 

treatment  of,  by  England,  191. 
Massasoit,  79,  80,  89,  95. 
Mayflower,  the,  72. 
Mayflower  Compact,  74. 
Mexican  War,  301. 
Minute-men,  194,  195. 
Mississippi    River,  discovered   by  De 
Soto,  36. 

discovered  by  Marquette,  113. 

explored  by  La  Salle,  114. 
Montcalm,  the  Marquis,  182,  183. 
Morris,  Robert,  206. 
Morse,  S.  F.  B.,  283-285. 
Mount  Vernon,  173. 

Napoleon,  270. 

Navy  in  the  Revolution,  204. 

in  War  of  1812,  272. 
New  England,  life  in,  139-145. 
"  New  England  Primer,"  142. 
New  Netherland,  102-109. 

founded,  102. 

seized  by  the  English,  107. 
New  York. 

See  also  New  Netherland. 

founded,  102,  103. 

New  Orleans,    defended  by  Jackson, 
274.  • 

Ocean  cables,  286. 

Oglethorpe,  General  Jas.  E.,  133-137. 

founds  Georgia,  134. 
Oregon,  290-297. 

Pacific  railroads,  331. 
Patroons,  103,  145. 
Penn,  William,  123-131. 

granted  Pennsylvania,  125. 

founds  Philadelphia,  128. 

treatment  of  the  Indians,  128. 


364 


Index. 


treaty  with  Indians,  129. 

his  "holy  experiment,"  127. 
Pennsylvania,  origin  of  name,  127. 

life  in,  146. 
Philadelphia,  founded,  128. 

taken  by  the  British,  202. 

British  army  at,  204. 
Philip,  son  of  Massasoit,  95-99. 

leader  in  Indian  war,  98. 
Philippine  Islands  acquired,  336. 
Pike,  Zebulon,  M.,  248-252. 

discovers  Pike's  Peak,  248. 
Pilgrims,  67-83. 

leave  England,  68. 

in  Holland,  70-71. 

sail  for  America,  72. 

reach  Cape  Cod,  73. 

land  at  Plymouth,  75. 

life  in  New  England,  76-83. 
Pitt,  Fort  (Pittsburg),  184. 
Pocahontas,  57,  58. 
Polo,  Marco,  2. 

"Poor  Richard's  Almanac,"  159. 
Porto    Rico   ceded  to  United  States, 

336. 

Potato  introduced  by  Raleigh,  49. 
Powhatan,  57. 
Providence  founded,  89. 
Puritans,  85-91. 

meaning  of  the  name,  67. 

settle  at  Salem,  85. 

their  character,  86-88. 

Quebec,  taken  by  Wolfe,  182. 

Railroads,  281. 

first  passengers,  281. 

influence  on  the  country,  281,  287, 

331- 

Raleigh,  Sir  Walter,  43-49. 

sends  out  exploring   expedition   to 

America,  44. 

ill  success  with  colonies,  45-48. 
introduces  the  potato  and  tobacco, 

49. 


Revere,  Paul,  194. 

Revolution,  the  American,  187-211. 

in  New  England,  192-198. 

in  Middle  states,  198-202. 

in  the  South,  207-211. 
Rhode  Island  settled,  90. 
Roanoke  Island,  44. 

colony  on,  45-48. 
Rumsey,  James,  his  boat,  253. 

Samoan  Islands,  337. 
Samoset,  an  Indian,  78. 
Santiago,  335. 
Saratoga,  battle  of,  203. 
School,  oldest  in  U.  S.,  103. 
Schools  in  New  England,  142. 
Separatists,  meaning  of  the  name,  67. 
Smith,  Captain  John,  52-59. 

his  adventures  in  Europe,  53. 

goes  to  Virginia,  54. 

his  adventures  in  Virginia,  54-59. 
South,  the,  in  the  Civil  War,  323-327. 

in  recent  years,  329. 
Southern  colonies,  life  in,   148,   169- 

171. 

Spain,  war  with,  334-336. 
Spanish  explorers,  31-38. 
Squanto,  an  Indian,  78-80. 
Stamp  Act,  188. 
Standish  Myles,  77,  82,  83. 
"  Star-Spangled  Banner  "  written,  272. 
Steamboat,  invention  of,  253-259. 

Rumsey's,  253. 

Fitch's,  254. 

Fulton's,  256-259. 

first  ocean,  259. 
Stuyvesant,  Peter,  105-109. 
Sumter,  Fort,  321. 
Swedes  in  America,  106. 

Taxation  by  England,  187. 
Tea  tax,  189. 
Tecumseh,  267-269. 
Telegraphs,  283-288. 
Morse's,  284. 


Index. 


365 


Texas,  300,  301. 

Thanksgiving  JJay,  the  first  in  America, 

80. 

Tippecanoe,  battle  of,  269. 
Tobacco  introduced  by  Raleigh,  49. 
Trade  routes  to  India,  2-4. 
Travelling  in  colonial  times,  147,  169. 
Trenton,  battle  of,  200. 
Tutuila  acquired,  337. 

United  States,  the  union  established, 

200. 

Articles  of  Confederation,  211. 
Constitution  adopted,  214. 
constitutional    government     begun, 

216. 

in  recent  years,  329-337. 
annexations,  329,  336. 
University  of  Virginia  founded,  239. 

Valley  Forge,  American  army  at,  203. 
Vespucci,  Amerigo,  29. 
Virginia,  why  so  called,  45. 

early  settlement  of,  50-61. 

under   Sir  William  Berkeley,    117- 

121. 

Bacon's  rebellion,  118-121. 
life  in,  169-171. 

Wamsutta,  son  of  Massasoit,  95. 
War  between  the  states.  See  Civil  War. 
War  of  1812,  270-274. 


Washington,  George,  168-185. 

early  life,  168-173. 

in  the  French  war,  176-182. 

Braddock's  defeat,  180. 

marries,  184. 

personal  characteristics,  185. 

Commander-in-chief,  197. 

crosses  the  Delaware,  201. 

at  Yorktown,  208-210. 

resigns  commission,  211. 

President,  214-216. 

dies,  216. 

Washington  City,  becomes  the  capital, 
236. 

taken  by  the  British,  272. 
Whitman,  Dr.  Marcus,  290-297. 

his  ride,  291-295. 

his  death,  297. 
Whitney,  Eli,  260-264. 

early  life,  260. 

invents  cotton  gin,  262. 
William  and  Mary,  College  of,  171. 
Williams,  Roger,  88-91. 

his  opinions,  88. 

settles  Providence,  89. 

grants  perfect  religious  freedom,  89. 

friend  of  the  Indians,  90. 
Winthrop,  John,  87-88. 

a  typical  Puritan,  87. 
Wolfe,  General  James,  182. 

Yale  College  founded,  142. 
Yorktown  surrender,  208-210.    • 


Key  to  Pronunciation. 


a  as  in  fat. 
d  as  in  fate, 
a  as  in  far. 
a  as  in  ask. 

c  as  in  met. 
e  as  in  meet. 
e  as  in  her. 
i  as  in  pin. 

I  as  in  pine. 
o  as  in  not. 
6  as  in  note, 
o  as  in  move. 

d  as  in  non. 
u  as  in  tub. 
ii  as  in  mute, 
u  as  in  pull. 

The  dot  under  any  vowel,  thus  a,  indicates  its  abbreviation  and  lightening 
without  loss  of  its  distinctive  quality.  The  double  dot  under  any  vowel,  thus 
a,  indicates  that  it  takes  the  short  u  sound  of  but,  pun. 

th  as  in  thin         TH  as  in  then          '  denotes  the  syllable  accented. 


366 


Pronouncing  Vocabulary. 


/Esop,  e'sop 
Andre,  an'dra  or  an'dri 
Annapolis,  a-nap'6-lis 
Appomattox,  ap-6-mat'oks 
Arkansas,  ar'kan-sa". 
Armada,  ar-ma'da 
Azores,  a-zorz' 

Bahamas,  ba-ha/maz 

Barbados,  bar-ba'doz 

Barcelona,  bar-se-16'na 

Berkeley,  Sir  w",  berk'li  or  bark'li 

Bonhomme,  Richard,  bo-nom',  re-shar' 

Boonesborough,  bons-bur'o 

Brevoort,  bre-viirt' 

Bronzino,  bron-ze'no 

Burgoyne,  ber-goin' 

Calicut,  kal'i-kut 
Canonchet,  ka-non'chat 
Canonicus,  ka-non'i-kus 
Cape  Breton,  brit'on  or  bre-tSn.1 
Caribbean,  kar-i-be'an 
Cathay,  ka-tha' 
Charlottesville,  shar'lots-vil 
Chesapeake,  ches'a-pek 
Chickahominy,  chik-a-hom'i-ni 
Cipango,  si-pang'go 
Conestoga,  kon-es-to'ga 
Cosmographiae    Introductio,    kos-mo- 

graf  e-I  in-tro-duk'teo 
Croatoan,  kro-a-to'an 
Curacao,  ko-ra-sa'o 
Custro,  kos-tro' 


Delftshaven,  delfts-ha'ven 

De  Soto,  Hernando,  da  so'to 

Diego,  de-a'go 

Dioscora  Puebla,  de-os'ko-ra  pii-eb'16 

Duplessis,  dii-ple-se' 

Duquesne,  dii-kan' 

Ericsson,  er'ik-son 
Flamborough,  flam'bur-5 

Genoa,  jen'o-a 
Gibert,  zhe-bare 
Gist,  jist 
Goffe,  gof 
Guam,  gwam 
Guerriere,  gar'ryar 

Haiti,  ha'ti 
Hawaii,  ha-wT'e 
Holbein,  hol'bin 

Joliet,  zho-lya' 

Keimer,  kim-er 
Keith,  Sir  W.,  keth 
Kieft,  keft 

Ladrones,  la-dron'es 
Lafayette,  la-fa-yet' 
La  Rue,  la  ru 
La  Salle,  la  sal 
Leyden,  ll'den 
Louisiana,  16-e-zi-an7^ 


Da  Gama,  Vasco,  da-ga-ma',  vas-co' 
De  Bry,  de-bre' 


Magellan,  ma-jel'an 
Mandeville,  man'dg-vil 


367 


368 


Pronouncing  Vocabulary. 


Marlborough,  marl'bur-9 
Marquette,  mar-ket' 
Massasoit,  mas'a-soit 
Meriwether,  mer-e-we'ther 
Metacomet,  met-a'ko-met 
Minuit,  Peter,  min'u-it 
Montcalm,  mont-kam' 
Monticello,  mon-te-sel'lo 
Moravians,  m5-ra'vi-anz 

Nantucket,  nan-tuk'et 
Narragansett,  nar-a-gan'set 
Naumkeag,  nom'keg 
Navarre,  na-var' 
Nina,  nen'ya 
Norumbega,  no-rum-be 'ga 

Oceanica,  6-se-an'i-ka 
Oglethorpe,  6'gl-thorp 
Osage,  6'saj 

Palos,  pa-los' 

Panama,  pa-na-maf 

Pequod,  pe-kwod 

Peregrine,  per'e-grin 

Pinta,  pan'ta 

Platte,  plat 

Pocahontas,  p5-ka-hon'tas 

Polo,  Marco,  po'lo,  mar-co; 

Pomeiock,  pom'e-ok 

Ponce  de  Leon,  pon'tha  da-la-6n' 

Potomac,  po-to'mak 

Powhatan,  pou-ha-tan' 

Raleigh,  Sir  W.,  rdai 
Rappahannock,  rap-a-han'ok 
Roanoake,  ro-a-n5k' 
Rodrigo    de    Triana,    rod-re-go 
tre-a'na 


de 


Samoan,  sa-mo'an 
San  Salvador,  san  sal-va-dor' 
Santa  Fe,  san'ta  fa 
Santa  Maria,  san'ta  ma-re'a 
Santiago,  san-te-a'go 
Saratoga,  sar-a-to'ga 
Savannah,  sa-van'a 
Schuylkill,  skol'kil 
Sebastian,  se-bas'tian 
Seekonk,  se'konk 
Serapis,  se  ra'pis 
Seville,  sev'il 
Shawmut,  sha-mutf 
Shenandoah,  shen-an-do-a 
Squanto,  skwan'to 
Stadthuys,  stat'his 
Steuben,  sti'ben 
Stuyvesant,  stl've-sant 

Tecumseh,  te-kum'se 
Tippecanoe,  tip'e-ka-no' 
Toscanelli,  tos-ka-nel'le 
Tutuila,  tu-tii'i-la 

Ulpius,  ul'pi-us 

Vaczlav,  Brozik,  vak'slav  bro'sik 
Valparaiso,  val-pa-rl'so 
Vespucci,  Amerigo,  ves-po'che  a-me- 
re'go 

Waldseemuller,  valt'za-miil-ler 
Wamsutta,  wam-sut'ta 
Williamsburg,  wil'yamz-berg 

Yadkin,  yad'kin 
Zebulon,  zeb'u-lon 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
BERKELEY 

Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed. 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


DEC  22  194S 


APR  2     1963 

fieri  , 


MAY  9     RECt 
JUL311972 

RETURNED  TC 


LOAN    AH 

FEB    7J975 

MAR  11  1975 

LD  21-100m-9,'481B399sl6)476 


M69888 


En* 


_ 

Educ. 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


SM^TH    DROS. 


